Someone to Rely On
by Secret Account 11
Summary: When Amaimon agrees to assist Mephisto in bringing out Rin's flames, Mephisto is suddenly stuck in the situation of having to allow his brother to live with him. Old habits return that Mephisto grudgingly puts up with and a new attitude never seen before shines in Amaimon's eyes. Slowly, Mephisto begins to enjoy his brother's presence in his life. (Amai/Meph brotherly bond)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:  
This story takes place during the same time period of the anime.**** It follows the events of the anime while adding several scenes between Amaimon and Mephisto on their own.****  
Also, this isn't necessarily pairing Amaimon and Mephisto. It's more of a brotherly bond that is concentrated on. If you wish to take it as a pairing, go ahead. x3 Take it how you will~  
This first chapter follows their encounter in the anime right on- but after this chapter, there will be a lot more scenes that are "off-screen." So, don't worry. XD The entire story isn't just the anime rewritten.**

Hope you enjoy it~ =)

It had been a considerable amount of time since I had seen my brother- much less actually been back in Gehenna where most believed I belonged. I guess, for the most part, it was true; I was a demon after all, but this world- Assiah- was so _interesting. _So much chaos occurred in this silly place- chaos that demons like me could simply chuckle at and observe from a distance. My infatuation with Assiah was something rarely anyone else understood, but did they really have to? It was where I enjoyed being and not a single person (or demon at that) could change my opinion.

When Amaimon showed up that night on that tower, there was slight irritation running through my veins. In general, I was never a patient person- having to wait for others often annoyed me. I made exceptions for my brother at most points, though. Despite the disappointment I felt over the fact that he hadn't shown up on time, my face didn't show a hint of it. I was good at hiding my feelings- probably rather helpful in most situations. Even then, when he did show up, he apologized immediately for being late. Oh, Amaimon… how did you constantly know what to say to get rid of my negative emotions?

The meeting was a rather pointless and short one. Even though we hadn't seen each other in a long while, we certainly didn't act like it. Every word that came from our lips was completely business-related. I casually asked how life was back in Gehenna (even though I wasn't particularly interested) and found myself smirking when Amaimon mentioned how delightfully furious everyone was. Surely, they were all drowning in envy over the fact I had Rin Okumura in my grasp- my youngest brother (excuse me- half-brother). How wonderfully fantastic it was that I could cause chaos back in Gehenna without even being there.

I took a casual sip of the warm tea within my hand to hide the joy on my face, feeling a rush of pleasure run through me when my boy was warmed against the cool air. However, when I felt my brother's bright blue eyes glued to my frame, the comforting feeling washed away to a tingling sensation of defiance. "What is it? Do you have something else to say?" I didn't look at him, simply raising my chin and pursing my lips.

His response was one that would have caused my eyes to widen with surprise if I hadn't mastered the ability to hide my emotions. "No, I was just wondering when you'll return to Gehenna." As usual, a rather emotionless look was plastered over Amaimon's face, and I chanced a short glance toward him. Why did he even care? Surely no one else back home was remotely concerned about my return.

"Go," I ordered sternly, completely avoiding the topic, "don't make our impatient siblings wait."

And just like a dog obeying its master, Amaimon did as he was told and left within the blink of an eye. I suppose that was something I was thankful for. Most of the time, the demon knew not to push me if I refused to do something- whether it be answering a question or simply performing an action. He knew when to let it go.

I didn't have the heart to tell him I had no notion of returning- both because I didn't want him pestering me about it and, deep down, I just didn't want to upset him. Surely Amaimon rarely acted like he cared about where I was, but just that simple phrase of his was enough to bring about new thoughts in my head. Perhaps Amaimon _did_ actually have a bit of care within him; he just rarely showed it, similarly to me. Whatever it was, I decided to ignore it after that encounter, choosing to see it as nothing but a fluke.


	2. Chapter 2

We went for a long while before seeing each other's faces again. In fact, I wouldn't have even needed to call up Amaimon if that failure of an exorcist, Neuhaus, had been able to actually carry out what I had planned. It turned out that only a demon, one with the ability to drive Rin over the edge, would have the capability of succeeding. So, I had to resort to my brother as soon as I had convinced Yukio that I was completely appalled over Neuhaus's actions. Giving Amaimon a job like this… I knew it was something he'd be more than interested in taking a part in (if anything, it'd cure whatever boredom he was enduring in Gehenna).

Once Neuhaus had let Amaimon through (past the barriers I had set to ward off demons), I was eager to show my brother what he was up against, proving to him that Rin was keeping his flames at bay. Quite predictably, Amaimon instantly became interested in the job. He was always up for tasks like this. Perhaps, deep down, the demon liked causing chaos just as much as I did. Or, he just liked proving how much he could annoy someone else. Whatever the motive was, I was glad he accepted. If anyone could infuriate Rin, I knew it'd be Amaimon.

This led to a bit of a dilemma. Where was Amaimon going to stay during his visit? In all honesty, I had little desire for him to stay with me, but felt obligated to allow him access to my room- more in a "I need to keep you out of trouble" kind of way than a "You're family, so you can stay with me" sort of deal. That being said, with much hesitation, I agreed to let the shorter boy stay with me for the time being. This… would probably be a bit catastrophic.

"You're going to wear something else to sleep, aren't you?" I asked on the first night, tightening my robe around myself while glancing over my brother's elaborate outfit.

That usual, blank expression on Amaimon's face turned up toward me from a Japanese magazine he was flipping through (_my_ magazine, at that. He had a strange fascination in learning about Japanese culture simply because I was so interested in it). "We're going to bed, now?"

"I thought it was quite obvious," I murmured with a raised brow. "You'll have to stay in my bed the nights you're here- I'd rather you not sleep on the carpet like some dog."

My gaze narrowed in the slightest when I said those words, well-aware of how funny it must've sounded coming from a demon who _can_ turn into a dog. Thankfully, Amaimon didn't catch my unintended reference, instead looking back at his familiar that was resting on the floor alongside him. "Can Behemoth-"

"No. _That_ is not staying in bed with us."

A look of disappointment flashed over my brother's face, but it was so brief that I barely noticed it. He got to his feet and faced me, thumbs hooked on his pants. "I didn't bring another outfit to wear for sleeping."

_Of course you didn't._ A small sigh escaped from my lungs before I brought a hand up to my head. "Very well. I'll get you an extra shirt of mine. Wait here," I ordered and pointed downward forcefully at the word, "here." With one last glance over my shoulder at the boy, I stepped off toward a passage cleverly concealed within a wall in my office and gained entrance to my bedroom. Once I reached the dresser on the other side of the room, I pulled open one of the drawers and snatched out a simple white dress-shirt. Certainly, I had other robes he could wear, but never would I let him mess up _those_ of all things.

When I turned back around, I felt my heart leap up into my throat, practically throwing the shirt up into the air upon seeing Amaimon standing directly behind me. "What do you not understand in the phrase, 'Stay here?'" I demanded and caught the breath that I had lost in the encounter.

"This is your room?" he asked, completely disregarding what I had just said. His bright cerulean gaze flashed from one aspect of the room to another; it seemed like he was trying to take in all that he could within a few seconds.

The room was a sight to behold if one had never seen it before. For one thing, the bed was huge- way too big for one person, but I enjoyed that kind of space. It had a delicate, pink canopy over it that was speckled with patterns of purple. In fact, basically every aspect of the room was some shade of pink or purple- a few items such as my dresser were a pearly and elegant white. The room itself wasn't the biggest thing ever, but it served its purpose; I rarely spent much time in that room, only needing it when I slept.

"Here," I stated bluntly and handed my brother the shirt. "You can go change in the bathroom." With a flourish of my hand, I pointed out a door off to the side of the room, indicating where he was to go to get into a more comfortable and suitable outfit.

Without another word, the green-haired demon took the fabric from my hands, threw it over his arm, and disappeared into the bathroom. I stared at the closed door for a few moments in thought. Directly afterward, I collapsed onto the bed and dragged my hands down my face with a deep groan. I'd have to put up with this for a good while, and this was only the first night; being away from my brother for so long had practically caused me to forget just how odd and irritating he was at times. My exasperation was heightened when he actually stepped out of the bathroom in this new get-up.

Obviously, seeing that his makeshift pajamas were just a shirt of mine, they didn't cover too much of him. Since I was taller, the shirt at _least_ reached about halfway to his knees, but upon closer inspection, I could quite literally feel my face distort with disgust. "Amaimon," I murmured, my voice coming out as more of a croak than anything else. "Please tell me you're wearing something _under_ that."

Amaimon cocked his head to the side curiously, then performed the worst action ever in a situation like this. He actually _lifted_ the shirt up as if to _check_ and see if he was at all covered by any sort of undergarment. If I hadn't been overwhelmed by the sight displayed to me, I probably would've been rolling my eyes over the fact that he had managed to forget what he was wearing in that short amount of time.

Within an instant, I had already slapped a hand to my face to shield my eyes, ignoring the rush of heat that had made its way to my face. "I am not sleeping in the same bed with you unless you put something on to cover that up," I hissed through clenched teeth, chancing a glance through my fingers to see if he had put his shirt down, yet. Amaimon smoothed down the shirt and looked at me with bewilderment.

"You're wearing something under your robe?"

"Yes, of course," I exclaimed, appalled that he had thought any differently. "It's the civil thing to do, at the least- especially if you're barely wearing anything."

"You were the one who told me to change-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But, I was sure you had enough sense to keep your undergarment on with an outfit like that." I heaved out a great sigh- definitely not the last sigh I'd let out in his presence- and rubbed at my temples. "Just… go put something on under that, okay?"

As soon as Amaimon had gone back into the bathroom, I stood up and began to pull the covers back on the bed. I fluffed the pillow I'd be using and placed it on one side of the bed, doing the same with another for my brother to use. Several extra pillows were placed at the headrest, open for usage if necessary. By the time Amaimon had come back, everything was set up for the night.

"This okay, brother?" he asked and spread out his arms to display himself. I looked over him speculatively, giving a brief nod of my head when I noticed the boxers he now wore.

"I have to get up early for my duties tomorrow. I don't expect you to get up with me, I'm just telling you to avoid any questioning in the early hours," I informed him within a yawn and sat down on the bed.

"Mmm. I'll probably join you at that time, anyway," he murmured as a response, causing me to raise a brow in his direction as he slid under the covers alongside me.

"Really, Amaimon, it's not necessary," came my incredibly hasty response, eager to have the morning to myself over other things. Who knew how long I'd have to put up with this clueless demon brother of mine; I was _going_ to get the morning to _myself._

"Well, if I wake up, I'll get up."

_Oh? Is that a challenge?_ Whatever it was, it was accepted. As long as I was careful and quiet in the morning, it was certain that Amaimon would remain asleep. Piece of cake; I could be as silent as a mouse if I truly wanted to. A tiny smirk crossed my face at these thoughts, and I was sure Amaimon had seen it with the sudden look of curiosity he gave me.

"Very well. Whatever pleases you," I finally replied and settled down under the sheets of the bed. I heard a rustling coming from behind me and waited for my brother to get comfortable before snapping my fingers to turn the lights off. Strangely, especially for me, I fell asleep rather quickly that night. Perhaps keeping an eye on Amaimon was enough to wear me out.

That night, like most nights, I woke up continuous times. It was just how my body worked, I suppose. Not once had I ever slept the entire night through. Most of the time, I'd simply awaken, turn over, and fall back asleep. However, one particular time in the early "AM" hours, a certain sensation kept me awake.

The first thing I noticed was how incredibly hot the back of my neck was. I felt a continuous fluctuation of heat against my bare skin, causing it to get moist over time. As I blinked myself awake, I became even more aware of the fact that something was pressed up against my back while another presence was delicately placed at my chest. For a few seconds, I simply laid there in stunned silence. It wasn't long after when I realized just what was going on.

My brother, the Earth King, was all the way over on _my_ side of the bed, nuzzled up against my back with an arm wrapped around me and clutching to me for dear life. His nose was pressed into the back of my neck, his breath being the culprit of just how hot my skin was getting. The hand that was clutching me was tucked under the drooping neck of my robe and was a contrasting cold against my bare chest.

Another minute or so passed in confused silence. I turned my neck slightly in attempt to look at him, noticing well enough that he was sound asleep. How was I even supposed to wake him up? Slowly, and very awkwardly at that, I shifted my arm, gently elbowing him in the chest. "Amaimon," I whispered harshly, nose wrinkled slightly. "Amaimon! Wake up!"

The demon let out a soft moan and quite suddenly squeezed me even tighter, bringing about a startled noise from my own throat. "Damnit," I hissed between my teeth and began to think up a different plan. When I felt something brush over my leg, a new idea instantly popped into my head. I hastily reached a hand down, snatching Amaimon's tail within a balled fist and lightly tugging on it.

As expected, my brother yelped and recoiled. His hands left me and made their way to his own tail as I released it. "Amaimon, this bed is _gigantic_ and _luxurious_," I explained with a forced calm. "You have plenty of room over on your side, so I expect you to stay there." I began to rub at the back of my neck where his breath had been.

"You didn't let Behemoth stay in the bed with us," the Earth King explained in a 'matter-of-fact' kind of way.

"Okay, so, what was that? Revenge for leaving your little pet on the floor?"

"No, not at all!" Amaimon said hurriedly and ran his fingers over his tail, sitting up to look at me. "I just like holding onto something when I sleep and I figured you wouldn't mind…"

I blinked a few times and turned over to face him, seeing a rather disappointed gleam in his eyes. When I felt my face starting to get warm, I instantly turned away with a click of my tongue and reached for a spare pillow. "Here," I muttered and shoved it toward him without meeting his gaze. "Hold onto that."

Once I had turned back over and determinedly closed my eyes, it was several minutes before my brother did the same. I could feel his gaze burning into me just as it had done that one night- as if trying to read me. I wouldn't give in, however, and let out a small breath of relief when I heard him finally lay back down. That time, it took me a bit longer to fall back into a slumber, but when I did, I didn't wake up again until morning.


	3. Chapter 3

Most of the time, I'd get incredibly irritated over the fact that it was a habit of mine to constantly wake up a minute before the alarm on my cell went off. People say that your body simply gets used to the time the alarm goes off and tries to _avoid_ hearing it by waking up early. I think it's just the world's way of saying, "Ha! I'm not letting you sleep in that last precious minute!" Whatever it was, I actually became incredibly thankful when such a thing occurred the next morning.

When I woke up and glanced to the analog clock on the bedside table, the time, surely enough, showed to be about a minute and a half before my alarm was set to ring. With a brief yawn, I stretched out my arm to snatch my pink cell phone and flipped it open to turn off the alarm. My eyes flashed over my shoulder to observe the demon resting on the other side of the bed. To my greatest pleasure, he showed no sign of being awake or waking up anytime soon. Perhaps I _would_ get my peaceful morning.

Slowly and carefully, I rose out of bed, cringing when it let out a creak in the process. For a moment, I had frozen in place, listening for any signs of movement over my shoulder. Nothing. An accomplished grin pulled at my lips once I had finally stood up completely. I silently stepped over to my dressing to pull out fresh undergarments, then to my closet to retrieve my usual outfit. As I made my way toward the bathroom to get all cleaned up, my green gaze turned to Amaimon, again.

He seemed to be snoozing peacefully, arms wrapped around the pillow I had given him and squeezing it tightly. For a moment, I almost felt a warm smile forming across my face, but it was quickly washed away when I realized just what the demon had done to my pillow.

His mouth was wide open as he slept, a streak of drool hanging from it and joining the already completely soaked side of the pillow. There was no way I'd be using that again unless it was washed… _thoroughly._ One side of my upper lip rose in disgust over scene, suddenly _very_ glad I had made him hug a pillow instead of me. I was not up for getting a bath in Amaimon's slobber.

I left the room with a shudder at that thought and stepped into the warm and comforting shower as soon as I was in the bathroom. Thoughts wheeled through my head while I stroked my hands through my hair, considering how long my brother would end up being here and when the opportune moment would be for him to confront Rin. I knew for certain that the young exorcist had been sent on his first mission as an Esquire, though I was uncertain when he'd be returning. Hopefully, the mission would be finished quickly and painlessly. Amaimon was always one to get a bit impatient with having to wait for these kinds of things.

I shut the water off in the shower, wringing out the loose hair framing my face and throwing the curtains to the side. My gaze lazily rose when I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye. Lo and behold, I did.

There, crouched on the toilet seat with an expectant look on his face was Amaimon, his demon tail flicking out behind him. Thankfully, in this situation, he was actually wearing his underwear. The downside- I obviously wasn't. In fact, I was standing there right in front of him, wearing absolutely _nothing_. I'll have you know that the Earth King wasn't at all fazed by this, however.

"Amaimon!" I shouted, hastily grabbing a towel from the rack and throwing it around my waist. "What in the name of Satan are you doing in here?!"

"I had to use the bathroom," he stated as if it was a normal occurrence to creep outside of the shower while someone was in it.

"Okay, fine. Then why didn't you just use do your business and _leave?_" I gestured dramatically to the toilet, then to the door as I spoke.

"I haven't actually gone, yet. I was waiting for you to leave since I was certain you didn't want to step out of the shower to see me using the bathroom."

I stared at him with disbelief for a few moments, my mouth opening and closing soundlessly. "You… okay, just… use the bathroom. I'll go change out in the room." My hand swiped over my hair with exasperation before I grabbed my clothes and left, taking care to close the door behind me.

As soon as I was in the bedroom, I whipped the towel off and began to dry myself quickly. Based off of what had occurred so far, I was expecting my brother to simply walk out of the bathroom without a second thought as soon as he was done. That morning, I dressed myself in record time. By the time Amaimon was done, I was standing in front of a floor-length mirror completely dressed, fixing loose strands of hair into place.

"Will you be going back to bed?" I asked without looking at him.

"I'm already up. Might as well stay up," came his blunt reply and I had to bite my tongue to avoid cursing. He walked across the room and to a pile of clothes he had left in an armchair. "I'll shower if you don't mind."

"Yes, please do." My response was hasty and had a scathing tone to it, but Amaimon didn't react to the negativity at all. He quite simply dipped his head and disappeared back into the bathroom with nothing but the soft thud of the door indicating he was gone. My eyes flickered toward the bathroom, gaze narrowed. In the span of less than a day- I had seen more of Amaimon than I had ever wanted to see, and he had also had the pleasure of seeing me completely naked. Looking at the glass half full, I sincerely hoped that it meant things couldn't get _any_ worse.

Once pleased with my appearance, I spun on my heel and made my way toward the bed, flinching inwardly when my attention landed on the drool-covered pillow. My nose wrinkled and I glanced around myself for something to move the monstrosity without having to use my own hands. When I spotted my pink umbrella in the corner of the room, I grit my teeth.

"Sorry, dear," I whispered apologetically to the item and used the top of the umbrella to shove the pillow up against the headrest. Automatically afterward, I rummaged through my pocket and plucked a handkerchief from its depths to wipe the umbrella off. "You're all good, now."

The rest of the bed-making process after that was quite simple. I just had to avoid touching the pillow when pulling the blankets up. Once the comforter proved to be almost completely wrinkle-free, I nodded my head with approval and walked off toward the passage leading to my office. A coat rack hung right next to the opening where the wall slid to the side, currently in possession of my top hat. With a swift movement, I grabbed the stylish piece of clothing and placed it on my head before stepping into my office.

When I entered the room, I instantly was face-to-face with the familiar my brother refers to as "Behemoth," and practically fell over when the creature leapt up excitedly in front of me. "Goodness gracious, creature," I spat, planting my hand firmly on the thing's face and shoving it to the ground. "I'm not Amaimon- calm yourself."

Behemoth made a soft noise of disappointment upon realizing that I was, in fact, not a green-haired unicorn. I left the passage to my room open, gently shooing him into my bedroom. "Stay in there; Amaimon will be out of the bathroom in a bit, so leave me alone." Before the hobgoblin could even attempt to come running back out, I slammed the passage shut and turned around with my back pressed against the wall.

"Having some problems with the brother?"

As if I hadn't already had enough heart-attacks that morning, I spotted Neuhaus in the opposite corner of the room, arms crossed and observing me with a look on his face that had the tiniest hint of amusement. I let out a noise sounding like a growl and smoothed out my shirt. "Not at all. Just getting used to the little demon, that's all. What is it you want?"

I made my way over to my desk, leaning over it and scanning the papers scattered across it. When Neuhaus stepped toward me, I didn't so much as cast him a single glance. The expression on my face hid the fact that I was completely bewildered over his presence.

"I'm just curious is all," Igor muttered. "Amaimon agreed to do the job. When are you planning on carrying it out?"

"When the right time comes, Neuhaus. Have patience," I replied simply and picked up a document on my desk to glance it over. "Okumura is currently gone on a mission. When he returns is when we'll decide precisely what to do."

My ears picked up a noise of disappointment from the man's direction. I looked up at him, flashing a devilish smirk. "Beggars can't be choosers. You do realize that if _you_ had been able to carry out what I asked, we wouldn't be in this situation. I have resorted to the Earth King because I have more confidence in him. You lost your chance."

"I'm aware," he snapped sourly. "I was just wondering if you had anything decided, yet."

"Oh, I always have some sort of plan, as you know," I grinned and walked around to the front of the desk. "This is no longer your problem, Neuhaus. Therefore, you have no right confronting me about it." My gloved hand found its way to the man's middle back, gently spinning him around and leading him toward the door out of the office. "I appreciate your concern, but you are no longer needed at this time."

As I pushed Neuhaus out of the room, he spun around to face me just as I was about to close the door behind him. "And what will you do if this brother of yours has no success, either?" There was a defiant and irritated look in his eyes, but I simply let out a laugh and shook my head.

"Trust me as you once did. I have complete confidence in Amaimon. He _is_ the Earth King, after all, and a demon at that. You underestimate his strength."

"And maybe you overestimate it."

My lips pursed slightly before I shrugged nonchalantly. "Only time will show us," I replied and dipped my head. "Hope your day goes well, Neuhaus." Then, before he could even open his mouth to reply, I closed the door and turned back to my desk.

I seated myself comfortably and leaned back, hands resting behind my head. For the longest while, I stared off into space, thinking over what Neuhaus had said. He was a foolish man to think that Amaimon was incapable of performing what I had asked. If anything, the demon would go above and beyond- my brother never failed to please me with these sorts of things. He would succeed by a landslide. I would not allow it to happen in any other way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note:  
I'd just like to put a special 'thank you' out there for two readers of mine, Shadethedemon and Superiordimwit.  
Both of you have written things that have brought a smile to my face and actually give me so much motivation to continue with this story. I sincerely appreciate you taking time out of your day to read and review this and am /so/ glad that you are enjoying it.  
I just hope it doesn't disappoint! ;0;  
Thank you so much!  
And thank you to anyone else who is reading this. It means a lot to me~**

It wasn't too long after Neuhaus had taken his leave (more of, I _made_ him leave) when the passage leading into my room slide open and my brother nonchalantly walked out. At first, I didn't as much as glance up at him, well aware of who it was. However, when I noticed something strange about him by seeing him through the corner of my eye, I raised my gaze with interest.

Amaimon's mouth was stuffed to the brim with what I believed to be sticks of Pocky, his eyes almost seeming to bulge over the amount that he had somehow fit between his lips. For a moment, I just stared at him blankly, but as soon as everything registered, I immediately bolted out of my seat with a startled sound of disapproval. "Where did you get those?!" I asked and made my way toward him, lips curled.

His blue eyes flashed toward me and he made a few muffled noises as if trying to speak. When the demon realized that he could, in fact, _not_ speak with his mouth full, he instantly spat the food onto the floor- my nice, _clean_ floor. If I didn't have more self-control, I would've screamed upon seeing such a thing occur.

"I found this tasty food in your underwear drawer," Amaimon explained, wiping the corners of his mouth where the chocolate from the Pocky had gotten. "I figured, since you were keeping food in your drawer with your underwear, you didn't want it, so I ate it." He looked down at the floor where he had spat them out, picking one up to nibble contemplatively on.

There were so many questions running through my head that it took me several moments to actually form words. It took me even _longer_ to form intelligible words. "_Why_ were you in that drawer in the first place?" It was a completely logical question, yet my brother looked at me as though I had gone insane.

"I didn't have an extra pair of underwear, and I thought you'd want me to change my underwear rather than wearing the same pair over and over, so I borrowed a pair of yours," the demon commented, finishing off the stick he was currently eating. "Then I found a box of food and decided to try some since I was hungry. And it was in that drawer, so I figured it wasn't too important to you."

I felt my hands slowly clench into fists and my shoulders hunch. Not only was he eating the last box of Pocky I had (and put in that drawer to _save_ it), but he was also wearing my undergarments. Clearly, this demonic brother of mine had no sense of personal boundaries. Deep down, I wanted to ask him why he thought it was a good idea to stuff the entire box into his mouth at once, but I decided it wasn't an explanation I really cared to hear.

It wasn't long after Amaimon had answered my question when his hobgoblin came bounding out of the room excitedly. The creature looped through my legs- causing me to stumble slightly- before running a circle around Amaimon and stopping to sniff at the Pocky on the floor. Within a couple of seconds, the familiar was munching on the bread sticks hungrily, bringing a grimace to my face.

"Behemoth enjoys them, too!" my brother exclaimed with astonishment. "These sweets are good; I don't understand why you didn't want them."

My eyes followed Amaimon as he knelt down alongside the hobglobin and joined in on the feast. "How wonderful," I grumbled irritably, turning on my heel. "Make a memo to yourself that you owe me a box of Pocky." My brother looked up at me as I stepped off toward the door, one brow raised with confusion.

"Where are you going, Brother?"

"I'm just going to take a walk around the academy and check up on things," I answered over my shoulder. Once I pulled the door open, I murmured numbers in German under my breath and transformed into the dog I normally took the appearance of when strolling about the school.

"What do you want me to do?"

"You," I replied, resenting how high-pitched my voice was in this form, "can just sit right there in that spot and not move an inch until I've returned." My eyes met his scornfully (though, I'm not sure how scornful I could look as a fluffy white terrier), then continued forward, not looking back again until I was way out of sight.

In all honesty, I had planned on staying in my office most of that day. It seemed that the only way to get away from my brother and have some peace was to leave the area entirely. Not many would call walking around the school with a bunch of kids "peaceful," but, compared to what Amaimon had put me through so far, I rather enjoyed it. Rin's return to the academy couldn't come soon enough. Once he was here, I'd be able to rightly plan when Amaimon could "toy" with him; once Amaimon carried out the deed, he'd be able to go back to Gehenna and all would be normal, again.

When I returned that day, it was well into the evening. My entire day had been spent both inside the academy and out amongst the streets, choosing to eat lunch and dinner at local restaurants. Thankfully for my brother, I actually had enough heart in me to bring leftovers back to my office, knowing that he hadn't eaten anything (other than my last box of Pocky) all day. I was quite certain Amaimon was unaware of the just how much I thought of his well-being. Even though I'd never show it, I _did_ care. I actually found myself caring a bit more when I returned to my room that night to see that it hadn't been made a complete mess.

I stepped through the door to my office (no longer a dog, by the way) and gently closed it behind me with hardly a noise, adjusting the bag I was using to carry the food I had saved for my brother. "I'm back, Amai-" My voice was cut off abruptly when I saw the green-haired demon off to the side of the room. He was sitting on the floor, legs crossed, and staring up at me with curious eyes, obediently in the same exact spot I had told him to stay in. Behemoth rested next to him, looking as though he had been sleeping before my return as he raised his head groggily.

"Welcome back, Brother," Amaimon said and pushed himself up to his feet. "Was your day well?"

I blinked at him a few times, then shook my head to rid the stunned look on my face. "Yes, it was perfectly fine." I would've asked him the same question if I didn't already know the answer. To avoid that topic, I simply strolled past him and placed the bag on my desk. "I went out to eat while I was gone and brought you some food."

Amaimon followed me, a slight bounce in his step. When he reached the desk, he stood on his toes to peer over my shoulder, cheek brushing over my ear. "What kind of food?" the demon asked as I stepped a few paces away from him, not wanting his hot breath on my face.

"There's some octopus in there. And rice if you'd like that with it," I explained to him and went around to the other side of my desk to sit. My eyes began to scan the papers on my desk, again, finally getting to them after the interruptions throughout the day.

"Oh!" Amaimon's sudden exclamation caused me to lazily raise my gaze. The demon was rummaging through his pocket, tongue sticking through his teeth with effort until he plucked a small box from its depths. He placed it on the desk before me, returning his hands to his sides.

It was a box of Pocky- chocolate Pocky, at that- completely new and unscathed. My eyes widened and I picked up my head from its previous spot resting on my hand. "How did you-"

"I got Behemoth to go and get some while you were gone. He brought back strawberry at first… so I had to send him back, but he did eventually get it right," Amaimon explained while rummaging through the bag for his food.

I looked over the desk and to the floor where Behemoth was resting, meeting his eyes for a brief moment before he shifted his position and fell back into a doze. Even though millions of questions ran through my head concerning _how_ Behemoth had done that, I chose to simply ignore them and accept the gift without a fuss. Though, I was completely unsure of how to properly thank my brother for it. In most cases, I wasn't one to give 'thank yous' for gifts of the sort.

"Brother," Amaimon said to break into my thoughts. "Where can I eat this?" He picked up two containers from the bag and held them before his face speculatively. "Should I eat in your bedroom since you have work to do?"

My brows furrowed with thought over the question, but I soon smiled and shook my head. "No. You can stay in here as long as you're quiet and don't make a mess." That was enough of a 'thank you,' right? Letting him stay in my office with me was a treat… so, it should be thought as a way of thanks. Even if he didn't interpret it that way, I did and accepted it as a valid way of gratitude.

So, with my permission, Amaimon went right back to that spot he had been sitting in all day, carefully eating the food I had given him to avoid dropping any onto the carpet. I watched him for several moments with my chin on my hand, involuntarily smiling when he gave a few pieces of the octopus to Behemoth (who was now wide awake). It took me a long while to actually regain my motivation to do any of the work given to me, but when I did, I was happily biting on a stick of chocolate pocky and deciding that this particular package tasted ten times better than pocky had ever tasted before.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note:  
I just need to take the time again to thank everyone who is reading/reviewing this. =) I don't think you guys fully understand just how much it means to me to get your feedback. Seeing your comments always brings such a huge grin to my face, and I am /so/ glad that you are enjoying this story. ;u;  
Writing this chapter was a lot less fun to write than the other ones, I must say. =| I also apologize how a good amount of this is basically just summarizing the plot of the anime/manga. So, yea, just apologizing in advance for any dull and boring moments in this. X_X  
Not sure how much I'll be writing of this over Thanksgiving break. You guys might not get another chapter until next week. ;0; I'm sorry. We'll see~  
Again, thank you so much to everyone reading this. You all make me so happy and encourage me so much. =)**

About a day later, I gathered news of Rin returning to True Cross Academy and immediately began to formulate a plan in my head regarding when Amaimon would carry out the deed I had assigned to him. There never seemed to be a good time to confront our brother; he was constantly in classes or being supervised by Yukio at all times. It seemed that the best time to do anything would be when he was sent outside of the city's borders to a secluded area where not many people would have the chance to witness Amaimon attacking. Who knew how long _that'd_ take?

For several days, I had to spend whatever free time I had entertaining my brother. He became rather bored and bothersome quite easily, so it instantly became my job to make sure he was busy with something. Needless to say, I felt like a babysitter.

The first day after Rin's return, I introduced Amaimon to several "artifacts" I owned related to Japanese culture. Like me, his interest was instantly piqued. Whether he was interested because he actually was intrigued by Japan or if it was simply to humor me, I have no idea. I managed to distract him for days with magazines and manga books I owned to keep him out of the way of my work, though, and that was good enough for me.

A lot of the time, I allowed Amaimon to stay in the office with me (which, by default, meant Behemoth stayed in the room, as well). The green-haired demon was actually quite obedient in keeping quiet while I worked, and I rewarded him a few times by joining him in certain activities. Though, the time I played a video game with him, he managed to chew up my favorite controller, so _that_ never happened again. Honestly, he acted like more of a dog than I did.

Yet, even through this assortment of stimulants to entertain my brother, he eventually had reached his limit; barely anything in my room could cure his boredom anymore. His impatience began to show quite obviously, especially one particular day when he specifically questioned where Okumura was

"By the way, Brother, where is he?" Amaimon asked after I had excitedly ripped a valuable yukata from his possession (that he had mindlessly bought without realizing its value).

I adjusted the pink outfit as it began to slide down my arm, lips pursing. "Over there." With a jerk of my head, I got my brother to look out of the windows of my office and to an amusement park. Rin and his exorcist class had been sent there to deal with a certain demon causing trouble- enough trouble to force the park, Mepphy Land, to be shut down.

"An amusement park?" Amaimon murmured and crouched down. His blue gaze was locked intensely on the area of attraction, and as he began to bite noisily at his long nails, a knowing smirk crossed my face. Anyone with slight familiarity with my brother knew that his impatience had boiled over the brim when he resorted to his nails in such a manner.

"Oh, so you finally feel like playing a bit with him?"

His hand dropped and he looked up at me with his lips parted. "You will let me, Brother?"

"Of course." I didn't really have a choice. If he stayed in my office much longer, he'd be driving me insane with his anxious habits. The poor demon was like a caged animal; he needed something like this to get some… _exercise._

When my words of confirmation reached Amaimon's ears, he looked at me as if I had given him the entire world's worth of sweets (something he had become incredibly addicted to during his stay). The demon immediately rose to his feet, and if his tail hadn't been tucked into his clothes, I'm quite certain it would've been wagging. I just raised a brow at him and held up my hand in a gesture for him to calm himself.

"Under a few conditions, though." The light in Amaimon's eyes faded for that brief moment. "I'm allowing you to _toy_ with him. Understand? That means don't cause a load of trouble for everyone else at the park and certainly don't destroy the place, either."

There was that look of disappointment on his face. The same look a child would give their mother when refused a piece of chocolate. I simply raised my head and ignored it, placing a hand under Amaimon's chin to bring his gaze right to mine. "And by _no_ means are you to break the Demon-Slaying Blade. Now is not the right time for that."

My brother blinked a few times at me, then attempted to nod despite his chin being locked in my grasp. "Okay, Brother. I'll just test him out and see how strong he is."

"Good. I don't want you beating him senseless, either. He'll probably be getting enough of that when I _do_ let you take his sword. Understood?"

"Yes, Brother."

"Very well." I gave him a stern look as a final warning before releasing his chin and stepping over to my desk. Realizing that I was still wearing the new yukata Amaimon had bought, I began to slide it off and reach for my usual outfit draped over my chair. My gaze flashed back to my brother and I gave him a quizzical look when he simply stood there and stared at my expectantly. "What? Aren't you leaving?"

"Right!" he exclaimed and turned to the window. The demon pulled a handle and pushed the glass structure open, suddenly stopping and turning back around. He took a few steps toward my desk and snatched a small lollipop from a mug. "See you later," came his farewell, waving the piece of candy in a salute.

"Y'know, you can just use the-" My shoulders hunched when my brother leapt out of the open window before I could finish. "-door." I stepped back over to where he had disappeared to, leaning outside to make sure he had landed safely before shutting the window and muttering under my breath. Once I had turned back around and faced the contents of my room, I felt my heart plummet into my stomach.

Despite the fact I had successfully gotten rid of _one_ bothersome being living in my room, I had failed to think over the fact that his little pet was still here. Behemoth was settled in the middle of the floor, gazing up at me with a heavily accusing glare. I returned the look, clicking my tongue against my teeth. "It's not _my_ fault Amaimon forgot about you." The creature let out a huff and turned his back on me, leaving me to finish up some work I hadn't been able to get to for the past few days.

Let's just say that I wasn't the happiest being in the world when I was called to the Japanese Branch Office by Miss Shura Kirigakure, an Inspector for the Vatican. Once I had gotten the call, I instantly knew what had happened. Amaimon had gone too far. Sure, he couldn't have known that Shura was there (even I was unaware of her presence at True Cross Academy- acting as a student in Yukio's class), but I _had_ told him blatantly to get _no one_ else involved. My irritation over the situation was boiling over. I'd have to deal with Amaimon when I returned, for he hadn't come back by the time I left.

Surely enough, when that half-naked skank stepped her way into the dark and dingy headquarters, she had Rin tucked firmly under one arm. Immediately, I felt the blood in my veins run hot and annoyance twitch at my eyebrows. Thankfully for me, as previously stated, I was completely capable of putting a mask over my true feelings and welcomed her with forced politeness.

The woman interrogated me like I was a criminal; completely and utterly distasteful, she was. I answered each question with nonchalance, not at all worried about anything she had to confront me about. Even through all of my answers, she still informed me that she'd have to report the issue. Hiding the son of Satan from the Vatican was too important to simply let it slide. I was well aware she didn't trust me, but then again, anyone who trusted me was a fool.

After Shura had interrogated Rin and was satisfied with whatever he had admitted to her, we were free to return back to True Cross Academy. By that time, the exorcist had a change in heart. Quite thankfully, she had decided to postpone "tattling" on me to the Vatican and instead decided to stay at the Academy to watch over my half-brother. It was a bit bothersome, I must admit, but I kept my cool throughout the entire conversation.

When the woman finally left after brilliantly notifying me that I was a demon and not at all trusted by those of higher authority, I saw Amaimon sink down from the ceiling beside me. He was munching on a freshly opened bag of chips, seeming quite carefree and completely unaware of the severity of his actions. How he had gotten there or how _long_ he was there, I was uncertain, but my anger overtook my curiosity.

"Poor Brother, it looks like they have no trust in you," the demon murmured thoughtfully.

"Amaimon… I have plenty to discuss with you regarding this case," I replied, my voice dripping with irritation.

The Earth King cast a sideways glance toward me from his upside-down position, then gracefully fell onto the floor. As soon as he had risen to a standing position and looked at me expectantly, I stood up along with him. My gloved hand was resting on my desk gently as I turned to face him.

"First of all, I recall telling you not to destroy the property. Upon inspection, I know for sure that you completely destroyed a roller coaster and also managed to knock off the head of my golden statue." My voice remained forcibly calm, though I felt by fingers twitching slightly as if wanting to ball up into a fist.

"I didn't mean to, Brother," Amaimon explained, wiping the crumbs off of his face. "Okumura was the one who beheaded you and broke the roller coaster. I was simply riding the coaster like one does at an amusement park. Maybe he didn't understand how roller coasters work… y'think?"

"Destruction to that park could've been easily prevented," I continued, completely ignoring his words pleading innocence. "To add onto that, you _also_ got other people involved. Specifically an inspector for the Vatican. Do you _realize_ how crucial it is that she had _not_ learned of the son of Satan being here when the Vatican is currently unaware?"

The green-haired demon stared at me blankly for a few moments, then turned to throw his empty chip bag away. I felt my frustration heightening with the carelessness of his responses, my hands involuntarily becoming fists. "That also wasn't my fault. I waited until our brother was off on his own before provoking him, just as you had asked. The inspector showed up later and got in the way." Amaimon seemed to pout as he said his final words, obviously incredibly disappointed that he had been interrupted during his gaming.

"Yes, but if you hadn't made all the noise and destruction, Miss Kirigakure wouldn't have heard it, would she?"

"But, Brother- I didn't do that! Okumura did, as I told you-"

"I _don't care_ who did it," I hissed suddenly, losing my calm façade. "The point _is_ that you ended up getting us into a _lot_ of trouble. I don't know what Okumura said to Shura, but whatever he said, it somehow made her change her mind on reporting me. All of our planning would've gone to waste if they were to learn about it, and now planning will be even _more_ difficult with the meddlesome woman working as an instructor here. She'll constantly have her eye on our brother- and is even keeping his sword away from him to avoid what happened today."

"Well, if she hadn't shown up, the Demon-Slaying Blade would've already been broken, but right as I was about to finish the deed, she ruined all the fun."

I felt my entire body go frigid as if a sudden breeze of freezing air had swept over me. My lips slowly curled up and I whipped around to face him directly. Without so much as a single logical thought, my hands unclenched and I brought one up level with his face, swinging it mercilessly to the side and hitting his cheek with a resounding slap. My gloves against his skin made a noise far louder than it should've been, but even so, it was a hard hit. Amaimon's head was thrown to the side, looking as though he had almost fallen over from the impact and my arm still hovered in the air where its path had ended.

"That was the _one_ thing I had told you _not_ to do today under any circumstances," I snarled furiously. "Out of all things to go wrong, that piled on top of it would've made everything worse! To think that you had actually been considering breaking the blade when I had _specifically_ told you not to… Amaimon, do you not listen to a single _word_ that comes out of my mouth?!"

The demon remained in his position for quite some time, his cheek reddening where my hand had made contact with it. His pupils flicked to the corners of his eyes to look at me before he straightened again. Though, his gaze didn't meet mine; his chin was ducked down, looking lost and defeated. "B-Brother… he… I thought I had him in the perfect position to break the blade… I was in possession of the sword and he wasn't in any condition to get it back… and… well, I figured you'd want me out of your way sooner rather than later… so… I thought it'd be a good idea to just do the deed right away."

"You thought wrong," I sneered, my arms crossed scornfully. My brother kept his head down, tugging at the hem of his shirt. For several moments, he said absolutely nothing. Neither of us did. The disgusted look on my face remained without falter and the dejected expression on his stayed.

"I'm sorry, Brother… I didn't mean to cause you trouble… I just-"

"I have work I need to get done now that I've spent my entire day sorting this out. You can go into the bedroom; I'll be there as soon as I'm done," I spoke over him, yet my voice had calmed in the slightest.

His gaze flashed up to mine for the briefest of moments before he gently nodded and proceeded toward the passage into my room. The demon gestured silently to the hobglobin resting off in a corner, causing the creature to leap up and follow. My eyes remained glued on my brother's back until he had disappeared completely behind the wall, then I allowed myself to collapse into the chair of my desk with a large sigh.

I rested my face in my hands, suddenly aware of the numb sensation on the palm of one. My attention was brought to it as I gently tugged off my glove to examine the numbed area. The skin was just as red as Amaimon's cheek. Clearly, I had hit him way more violently than I thought.

My brows furrowed as I examined the grooves of my hand, running my fingers over it and flinching inwardly. Strangely enough, the thought of the slap caused a rush of guilt to wash over me. Maybe I had been too harsh on him. Everyone makes mistakes. Sure, Amaimon's mistakes had caused a large amount of trouble, but it wasn't like he was _trying_ to cause the trouble. The Earth King never tried to cause me trouble. He had always just tried to please me and his actions had always backfired. Was that necessarily _his_ fault?

I muttered inaudibly under my breath and returned the glove to my hand. It had been a long time since I had lost control of my temper like that, and it pained me to realize that I had taken all of my frustration out on my brother. Amaimon wasn't easily swayed by scorn. He'd take it and learn from it. However, after seeing that defeated look in his eyes… I wasn't so sure about how he'd take what I had done to him.

My uncertainty was cleared up when I returned to my room that night to see that Amaimon was nowhere to be found.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note:  
Holy muffins with chocolate.  
You guys are all so nice to me. ._. And I really don't deserve the praise. My goodness... why do you all give me so much praise? ;0; I don't know how to deal with it!  
But, yes... again... I have to thank all of you for your reviews... you are all so incredibly awesome. ;~;  
One person asked if I was getting rid of the fact that Mephisto sleeps one hour a night- yes, I am. It works better into my story if I get rid of that little aspect of him. ^^; Sorry if that is at all annoying. I personally don't like when people change a character, but I hope this minor change isn't /too/ bad to deal with.  
Sorry this chapter came so late! My chapters will be coming later than normal since I'm busier- exams, buying xmas gifts... etc. So, sorry for the delay!  
I hope it makes up for the wait.. ._.;  
Thanks again, all of you! 3**

Initially, my reaction had been nothing but blank and emotionless. When I stepped into my bedroom and realized that Amaimon wasn't anywhere in the vicinity, I felt like I was at a complete loss of what to do for the first time. My brother wasn't lying in bed, drooling all over a pillow; he wasn't perched on the toilet seat with an expectant look on his face; he wasn't rummaging through my underwear drawer in attempt to find more Pocky. The Earth King, quite simply, was _gone._

There I stood- the confident principal of True Cross Academy and son of Satan- motionless and frozen with shock. Quite slowly and robotically, I stepped over to the bed and sank down upon it, running a finger over my chin contemplatively. When my brain was actually capable of functioning, I assured myself that he had simply gone out on a walk; Amaimon would return without a doubt. Yet, deep within me, a claw of guilt was clutching at my heart and pulling at its strings as it had never done before. I had _hurt_ my brother. Not just with the physical slap, but mentally, too. Did that mean, though, that he had just… _run away?_ I didn't even know where to start.

The proud side of me was only concerned about his disappearance over the fact that I needed him to help with matters concerning Rin. I found myself gently clicking my tongue against my teeth over how selfish he was to leave during such a crucial part of this whole planning process. "He's not done with his job, yet… I hope he realizes," my voice slithered out of my mouth in a low hiss. Unfortunately, I couldn't ignore the other hidden side of me that was slowly starting to leak out.

Ever since we were just kids, I always considered my younger brother to be nothing but a nuisance. He constantly found joy in clinging to me and running up to me to play some silly game. Stereotypical relationship between siblings, you could call it. Whenever I wanted to be left alone, he'd never fail in racing up behind me and throwing his arms around my neck, excitedly asking me what I was doing. Honestly, several times I wanted to flick him in the nose and yell at him to leave me be. Through all of those instances, however, I never had gained the courage to tell him off. He always seemed filled to the brim with happiness whenever I agreed to do something with him. It was slowly starting to dawn on me just how much his joy mattered to my own contentment.

Now that he was gone, everything felt so _dull_. All of this time, I had been eager to get him out of my house and back to Gehenna; I wanted my privacy; I wanted my bed back to myself _completely_; I wanted my room to remain clean and in order. Or, that's what I had thought. Now that the nuisance was no longer here, it felt as though something completely essential to survive in my life was snatched out of my hands. Was I actually becoming _soft_ for Amaimon?

"Not likely," I scoffed under my breath and rose to my feet in a strong, declarative way. "He'll be back later tonight. He knows he has a job to finish." As if saying it out loud would change anything. At the back of my mind, I was quite sure he _wouldn't_ be returning anytime soon, but it's not like I'd admit it. It took a lot of repeating similar words of Amaimon's return under my breath until my mind was more at ease before I could even attempt to fall asleep. Even then, once I had changed into my robe and settled down underneath the sheets, the room seemed so much colder than it had ever been. Falling asleep took a lot longer than usual.

I was roused from my sleep the next morning by a sudden weight falling upon my chest rather haphazardly. Still groggy and unaware of my surroundings, I did nothing but shove whatever it was off of my chest and turn my back on it. However, when I felt a soft nudging at my back, I soon lifted my head with a look of grand annoyance. "For the love of our father, Amaimon, would you just let me sleep?" I snatched my pillow from underneath me and placed it over my face with a loud groan.

The nuisance was persistent, though. Soon, he was practically shoving me off of the bed. "_What_ do you _want?!"_ I snarled, sitting up completely and throwing the blankets off of me. My gaze fell upon who I expected was the Earth King, but actually appeared to be the hobgoblin that was always at his side. The creature looked at me with wide eyes, then suddenly lowered into the sheets and glared (or, at least, I _think_ it glared… I could never tell with that creature). I'm quite sure I heard it releasing a soft growl, as well. "What?" I muttered, unfazed. "If you're hungry, consult Amaimon about it, not me."

I was about to pull the sheets up on top of me and go back to sleep when my attention flashed over to Amaimon's side of the bed. It looked as though it hadn't been touched. The pillows were neatly set, none of them covered with drool, and the blankets were still completely tucked in. Slowly but surely, the events of the day before played through my head, soon causing realization to hit me like a cold wave. That's right: Amaimon had left. If Behemoth was here, however… did that mean he was back, too?

Straightening up in my position, I glanced from one corner of the room to another, then to the open and unoccupied bathroom. "Where's Amaimon?" I looked down at the Earth King's familiar expectantly, receiving nothing but a blank look. The creature let out a snort and turned around, starting to dig into the blankets as if he'd find my brother within them. "Ah, yes… very helpful, thank you." I dragged a hand down my face with distress before standing up and proceeding to my dresser.

As I opened the drawers and began to pull out the proper clothing for the day, I looked over my shoulder and toward the passage to my office. Obviously, as the principal, I had duties to tend to throughout the day and had been fully intending to do them regardless of Amaimon's return. Yet, if he hadn't returned by _now…_ would he ever? I released a sigh and pulled out a pair of white slacks. "Guess I'll have to go look for the idiot…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the hobgoblin suddenly lift itself up, now tangled within the covers of the bed. "No, I'm not taking you with me," I murmured sternly. "It's enough to deal with your presence in my room. It'll be worse having to keep up with you outside." Behemoth's tongue swiped over his teeth a few times before he let out another huff of disappointment and rolled onto his back. For several moments, I simply stared at him, yet wasn't at all concentrated on what he was currently doing. My mind was swirling around my brother, starting to feel a bit of concern over where he could possibly be. In fact, as I began to dress myself, I found my plans of searching for him to be completely ridiculous. I had _no_ idea where to even _start._ Amaimon had rarely left the room (mainly because I didn't want him destroying the town) throughout his entire visit, so where could he possibly know to go?

As I finished putting on my outfit (without showering beforehand, regrettably; I wanted to get out and find the demon sooner rather than later), I passed by my bed again with a sudden realization. "Oh," I said, eying Behemoth carefully. "You're not supposed to be on the bed, so get down." By the time the hobgoblin had given me a look, I was already heading into my office, yet was pleased to hear the solid thump of him falling onto the floor. At least he obeyed orders.

I made my way over to my desk and stared out the window with my hands behind my back. My brows were furrowed, causing my nose to wrinkle, and I examined the landscape around me with thought. "Damn it, Amaimon… where have you gone?" The only place the demon had been to that _I_ was aware of was the amusement park. Why would he go back, though? After I had scolded him for what destruction he had caused in that area, why would he go back to be reminded of what happened last night? Unfortunately, it was the only lead I had at the moment; it wouldn't hurt to at least look.

When I went to Mepphy Land, everything looked exactly as it had when I had gone the day before. The front of the amusement park looked completely untouched- not a single thing appeared to be out of place. I strolled along the paths aimlessly, looking from one food stand to another to see if Amaimon had attempted to raid them despite the fact the park was closed. Since he had gained a taste for sweets (the same taste I had), I would not be surprised to see the demon prying the doors to candy shops open.

The majority of the food offered in the park was sweet; the stands included food Amaimon had not yet been introduced to before. As my eyes scanned the shops, I began to contemplate if I should take him to the park one day to let him try those foods. It was sure to make him happy and also help cure his boredom… but what was I thinking? I had to find him first. More importantly, why did I suddenly want to go out of my _way_ to make him happy? Surely, my brain was just boggled.

It was becoming more and more hopeless the more I walked around the park- not that I had much hope to start with. Reality was slapping me mercilessly in the face when I thought harder and harder about the current situation I was in. If Amaimon wasn't in this park, I literally had _no_ idea where to look next. Obviously, I could search all over the city, but was there really time for that? More of, was that even going to help at all when he could be _anywhere?_

Finally, I had made my way to the section of Mepphy Land that had been destroyed. Immediate annoyance flooded over me when I saw it, realizing how much work it'd be to fix the place up after what had been done. My irritated eyes landed upon the golden sculpture of myself and I cringed at seeing it headless. Having to look upon that once was more than enough. That statue was worth quite a lot and getting a new one was going to be a hassle. After releasing an exasperated sigh, I began to turn on my heel to leave. However, when sudden movement caught the corner of my vision, I turned my head to see what had grabbed my attention.

Call me crazy, but it looked as though the disembodied head of my statue was floating up from behind, wobbling unsteadily. The head was roughly dropped down onto its shoulders where it had been knocked from its body, and a sudden flash of green caused my lips to part. "Amaimon?" I called, suddenly grateful that no one else was around to hear me talking to a statue.

The little spark of hope within me proved to be worth clinging to. Within a few seconds of silence, the face of my brother appeared from behind the statue. He blinked a few times as if not believing his own eyes. "Brother? Why are you here? Don't you have work?"

"I should be asking you the same thing," I sighed, placing a hand on my forehead. It was as if a weight on my shoulders was lifted, relief washing over me in a quick rush. "You can't just up and leave without telling me, Amaimon."

The younger demon leapt down from his place on my statue's back and landed gracefully on his feet. His head cocked to the side curiously. "I didn't want to bother you to tell you I was leaving." He brushed off his sleeves, then turned around to admire his work. "Look, Brother! I fixed your statue."

My nose wrinkled in the slightest when he explained his reasoning for not informing me of his departure, but I gazed upon the golden Mephisto with a hand on my hip. "Is this why you were gone all night?"

"Not really… I tried fixing the roller coaster last night." A frown pulled at his lips before he looked back at me, again. He chewed on one of his claws briefly. "I'm sorry… I never figured out what to do to fix it…"

I stared at him for the longest time, nothing but surprise plastered to my face. After what I had done last night, why would my younger brother even attempt to do something that would make me happy? Any normal person would have nothing but distaste for me. They wouldn't have gone out of their way like Amaimon did; they would've tossed me aside and never spoken to me again.

"Y'know… it wouldn't hurt you to get mad every now and again," I murmured, averting my gaze.

"Mad?" The demon scratched at his neck, looking as though he was completely baffled by the idea. "Why would I be mad?"

I sometimes wondered if Amaimon was even capable of the emotion known as anger. He always seemed so calm and collected. Nothing ever brought him over the edge and caused him to yell. In this situation, I almost _wanted_ him to. I deserved to get _some_ sort of punishment for what I had done to him last night, yet it seemed like he had completely forgotten about it. Leave it to the Earth King to completely forget what happened less than a day ago.

"I was… eh…" I'll admit it right now: I was never one that was good at apologizing _or_ thanking people. These situations always left me stuttering, and strangely enough, these situations only seemed to occur around Amaimon. Why did he, of all people, make me look like the biggest idiot? "I was too harsh on you." Those words came out of my mouth so fast even _I_ couldn't understand them.

Obviously, Amaimon was completely taken aback by this sudden change in attitude. A silence fell between us that I was sure would never be broken. Thankfully for my churning stomach, though, the Earth King finally replied after a long moment of confusion. "It's okay, Samael."

My eyes shot open as wide as they could possibly get. I felt my heart leap up into my throat and my entire body freeze when I heard that name- my _true_ name. It had been the longest time since someone had referred to me as that. In fact, barely anyone even knew that was my name. I looked at my brother as though he was a ghost, getting nothing but his emotionless stare in return.

"I disobeyed your orders and caused you trouble and I am sorry for that," the demon continued, rolling back and forth on his feet. "That's why I was trying to fix the park… but I guess I can't do as well of a job as I was planning…"

"It's fine, Amaimon," I replied hastily. "That coaster needed some renovations, anyway… this gives me an excuse to change it up a bit." I offered him a reassuring smile, glad that I had recovered after my previous paralysis. My brother seemed to be seeing a lot of ridiculous looks on my face lately.

"Next time you decide to go somewhere, you have to tell me, okay?" I continued, dipping my chin to hide the pained look on my face. "I don't want to have to go searching for you, again."

Amaimon nodded and stepped up alongside me. "I promise, Brother." I raised my gaze just enough to see a small smile on his lips and felt my own heart warm within my chest. His happiness meant more to me than I was possibly capable of admitting. "Do you want to go back to your room, now? You have work that I kept you from…"

Another defeated look crossed his face and wiped away his grin. I almost wanted to grab his cheeks and pull his lips up, but knew how incredibly stupid that would've been. "No," I said and stared out toward the entrance of the park. "You haven't eaten breakfast yet, I assume. Neither have I. I can take you somewhere that I'm sure you'll like. _Then_ we can go back." A smile found its way to my face and I gestured for my brother to follow me before walking at a leisurely stroll.

"Where are we going?" Amaimon asked and ran up beside me. I felt his hand brush over mine a few times and suddenly became aware of how close he was. Just like old times.

"A place with some sweets meant for breakfast." I gave him a knowing grin in which his face brightened eagerly. Then, I felt that hand of his grab onto mine and hold it tightly. In most cases, I would've violently yanked my arm away and scolded him. However, this time, I let him hold it. At least until we had reached the exit of the park and would be seen out in public.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:  
You guys are still praising me. D= And no, roo17, I do not deserve it. ;0; But I really appreciate you saying all those kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. I thought I'd add a bit more fluff than usual for those of you who like Amaimon and Mephisto as a couple. XD  
Thanks, Skyhearts. =) I'm glad you like the way I portray Amaimon. ^^ I find him to be adorable, so I try to make him as cute as possible without going completely ooc. X.x  
SuperiorDimwit- all of your comments are always so long and thoughtful! Thank you so much! I appreciate /every/ word you say to me. I also agree on the whole ooc thing. I admit that while I was writing the last chapter, I felt like Mephy wasn't completely himself. :c I think it was because I hadn't written in over a week and was out-of-whack. I hope my next chapters are better and make up for him suddenly going ooc. Terribly sorry that happened. =( But thank you for the critique~  
BUT YES. A new chapter already! =D I'm gonna try to write more on weekends when I have time, so that's why this one is up so soon, haha. And please excuse this chapter. You all must hate me- first, I write a chapter that puts Mephisto a bit ooc, now I write a chapter that's boring. X_x Just warning you in advance that this chapter quite literally is basically rewriting the episodes from Mephisto's perspective. I PROMISE to include more moments that aren't in the actual plot in the next chapter, I just needed to get through this one, first.  
AND AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT. ;u;  
... /endofincrediblylongauthor'snotethatprobablyscaredyouaw ay**

My days spent with Amaimon were different after his first encounter with Rin. Regrettably, I found myself letting him get away with more than I should have, and it wasn't even on purpose. I simply wasn't as peeved by some of his habits as I was beforehand; I had become a bit more tolerable. Even though I'd never in my life admit it to anyone's face, I actually began to enjoy his presence. Sure, the demon was a nuisance and often looked through my stuff without permission, but his actual company became rather nice. It was quite fun beating him to a pulp in any video game we played since he wasn't at all used to it (yes, I had finally released the ban on video games, even though I still held a grudge after he chewed up my favorite controller).

Throughout the rest of the semester of school, it seemed as though each night, Amaimon scooted closer and closer to me on the bed. Several times, I'd wake up and actually shove him back a few inches without him even noticing (who knew the hyper demon was a deep sleeper?). Though, it got to the point where I stopped trying. Eventually, I woke up countable nights in a row with my younger brother pressed all the way against my back, abandoning his pillow that he had used as a replacement for Behemoth. Obviously, I'd push him off as soon as it was morning to make it _seem_ like I didn't want him there. No way in Gehenna or Assiah would I allow me brother to know that I consciously _let_ him sleep that close to me.

As the days proceeded, I also noticed that Amaimon was getting restless again. I found him chewing on his nails increasingly each day, staring out my open window as if Rin would materialize right outside it. He wanted to play with his toy. I knew he did. Japanese culture and video games he failed at weren't enough to keep him entertained for long.

"Amaimon, would you stop biting at your nails so much? They won't _be_ nails anymore if you keep this up," I commented one day without even looking at him, hearing the soft noise of his teeth over my shoulder.

"Brother, when can I face him again?"

"By 'him,' I assume you mean Okumura," I murmured, rubbing at my forehead while I glanced over a document in front of me. "You'll have your chance. He's getting sent on a three-day combat training camp at the end of the semester. That will be the perfect time, I assure you."

"When is this… semester over?"

"In a few days." My head turned slightly to flash him a glance, noticing the disappointed look on his face. "Don't be impatient, Amaimon." I picked up the cup of tea sitting alongside me and took a sip from it. Any other actions of impatience that came from my brother were ignored.

After that day, though, his anxiety was no longer easy to ignore. Each day, the demon steadily got worse and interfered with my work much more than he should have. I was about ready to give him a proper smack on the head, but was unsure how he'd react if I upset that… interesting hairdo of his. To phrase it simply, I was completely relieved when the semester had come to an end and the training camp began.

We went out to the forest on the esquires' first night (because waiting any longer would've resulted in me strangling Amaimon), watching them from a distance for the time being. Even from that point, my brother was impatient. As I spoke to him, inquiring if he had greeted the king of the forest and relayed the plan of action, he was brief and quick to the point. He had done as he was asked, but this time, I was going to watch and make _sure_ he didn't do anything out of line. Another incident like the one at the amusement park was not ideal at this moment.

Yet again, the woman working for the Vatican was there in our way, still in possession of the Demon-Slaying blade. It became clear to me just how big of nuisances women were, but that rant of mine had no relevance in this situation. My mind was set completely on keeping an eye (no, two) on Amaimon. I specifically informed him that he was to carry out the plan I had relayed to him earlier. Things would be done _my_ way, and if he was to break my trust again, I'd have even more reasons to be angry with the demon and probably wouldn't feel the slightest bit of regret to aim a hand at his face.

"What have you done so far?" I asked after lecturing him on following my orders (and I'm quite sure he wasn't listening to a word of it).

"The bug has successful been planted on the girl," Amaimon murmured, staring eagerly at the clearing where camp was set up. "If you're right, when I get her to come to me, our brother should get angry and face me."

"Precisely."

"How can you be so sure?" The demon cast me a short glance, yet quickly looked away again as if he'd miss something. He resorted to biting at his nails again, causing me to click my tongue.

"You could've bugged anyone in camp to get Okumura's attention. The girl seems the most relevant since, well… it appears as though teenage boys get protective around girls," I replied, my lips pursing slightly while contemplating it.

"He loves her?"

"I wouldn't call it that, Amaimon. Quite simply what's referred to as a 'crush.' Then again, I doubt it's just him. Every boy at the True Cross Academy appears to act strangely around the girls. By strange, I mean ridiculous." The way teenage boys acted so much less intelligent around girls and got all red in the face in certain situations was one thing about Assiah I'd never get used to. "In other words, you can quite easily do whatever it is you wish with the girl- any sign of showing attraction toward her would probably cause Okumura to be pushed over the edge."

"Act like… I am attracted to her?" Amaimon asked, turning to me with a perplexed expression. In fact, he also looked slightly irritated over not understanding it, either. A small smirk played over my lips upon seeing how helplessly lost he seemed.

"Yes. Go as far as saying you'll marry her or something." I waved my hand dismissively. "Use your imagination."

Again, it appeared as though my brother hadn't listened to my final words, suddenly perking up in his perch on the tall tree. My eyes traveled toward the camp, noticing that the entire group had congregated within it, and Yukio was out of the way for the time being. Immediately, Amaimon returned to biting his nails, gaze following every movement our brother was making. One of my brows rose, but I soon offered a mischievous smile and shooed him with my hand.

"Off with you. Have your fun. But remember to not do anything further than what I've asked of you, understand?"

The nod from my brother was a bit too eager and I was certain he hadn't comprehended a single word I had said. Though, before I could elaborate, the demon hastily leapt down from the trees, gathered up his _pet_ that was waiting impatiently upon the forest floor, and raced off in the direction of camp. I watched him go, dragging a hand down my face. "If you screw up this time, Amaimon…"

As he proceeded to the clearing, I conjured up a nice comfortable chair and set of tea to accompany me for the show, hovering effortlessly in the air with the objects. If I was going to watch this display, I was going to watch it comfortably. Surely, this was going to be _very_ interesting. The blood in my veins felt like it was rushing a bit too quickly, making me aware of just how excited I was to see this. For a hell-raiser like me, of course this battle would be the perfect performance to experience.

Amaimon seemed to dive into the scene at the perfect moment, too. It appeared that the bug implanted into the young girl was starting to bother her; soon, my brother would be able to control her. His actions right now were simply the preliminaries of a wonderful match. I snickered upon thinking of just how ill-prepared the poor esquires were for something of this level.

However, despite the fact that the esquires weren't prepared, Kirigakure was. As soon as Amaimon attempted to launch an attack with Behemoth, the woman had created a barrier, sending the demon flying outside of its boundaries and landing upon a tree right below me. I looked down at him with a raised brow.

"This won't be so easy, Amaimon," I commented gently and took a sip of the tea I had brewed.

My brother released an irritated groan and slowly lifted himself up. He stared off toward the barrier with a look of resentment in his eyes. "I wanna kill her." Now, _here_ was the side of Amaimon that proved he was capable of getting angry. It was true that the demon didn't let much bother him, but when it came to situations like this, he hated to lose. I knew he'd go as far as killing someone to prove he was stronger, but that was not at all part of the plan.

"That you won't," came my reply, brows furrowing. "If you try to kill any of them, I'll kill you." I wasn't over-exaggerating, either. If Amaimon managed to mess up this plan- the one that had been well thought-out and lacked many errors- I would have no sympathy for him. I may have gotten used to his presence and actually came to enjoy his company, but such silly emotions would never get in the way of what was more important. If my impulsive brother put a single toe out of line… I'd have no mercy.

Amaimon responded quite hastily, surprising me in the fact that maybe he _had_ been listening to me earlier. "Yes. I apologize. I'll control myself."

A silence fell between us, both of us staring out at the clearing and waiting for the opportune moment. I placed my elbow on the arm of the chair, resting my chin atop my hand. Amaimon brushed the leaves from his outfit and wriggled on the spot as we remained in patient silence (well, he was rather _impatient, _clearly).

"Ah… here is your chance, Amaimon," I sneered with a smile, watching as Kirigakure gave the Kurikara back to its rightful owner. "Go."

"Yes," the demon responded obediently and dropped down onto the forest floor.

Amaimon ran at a swift, yet silent pace toward the clearing, taking care not to get too close to the barrier set. Once close enough, however, I smiled upon realizing the blond girl stepping off into the forest. Her expression was completely glazed over, looking almost lifeless, and I immediately knew that Amaimon had taken control of her. "Now _this_ is where things get interesting." I leaned back, crossing my legs.

Obviously, Okumura took the bait. As Amaimon picked up the girl and carried her off into the forest, our brother was quick to follow. I laughed behind my hand when he questioned what Amaimon wanted with him, and more specifically, _Shiemi_. The boy seemed rather unaware of just how important he was.

Strangely enough, Amaimon had pulled off the marriage idea rather nicely. When he went as far as threatening to kiss the girl, Okumura was outraged. It was rather amusing to watch the son of Satan attempt to throw a hit at my brother. He still had not drawn his sword, and because of this lack of power, was thrown off of Amaimon with extreme force. In fact, Okumura had been sent soaring so far that he remained immobilized within a few minutes of the battle even starting. Though, we hadn't seen anything yet. Once he drew his sword… that was when the real party began.

Watching Amaimon provoke him was the best part. I was particularly surprised by how experienced the demon was at pulling just the right strings. It was as if he knew Okumura his entire life, capable of saying the exact lines that would cause our youngest brother to snap. Clearly, choosing the Earth King was the best idea for the job. Watching the battle occur was far more entertaining than anything Neuhaus would've come up with.

When the rest of the esquires (excluding one, I believe) came upon the scene to help, a crooked grin spread over my cheeks. "This will be quite fun for you, Amaimon," I chuckled, pouring another cup of tea. "Enjoy it while you can."

As expected, he did have his fun (even though his hair had been messed up, which I'm sure brought about more anger than it should have). The demon had his way with every esquire that confronted him, ultimately driving our half-brother over the edge. Despite Yukio's attempts to stop him, the Kurikara was unsheathed.

When the blue flames of Satan surrounded Rin demonically, the look on Amaimon's face proved that he had been waiting for this moment for a long time. Such excitement on his face brought a smirk to my own. _Just don't take this too far, Amaimon._

My brother was beyond ecstatic at this point. He ran with a jump in his step and put all of his attention into anything Okumura did. Unlike last time, though, our half-brother appeared to be a much more difficult opponent than Amaimon expected. His joy and humor with the situation were quickly transformed into looks of fear and complete surprise. It seemed that the Earth King's toy was a bit more difficult to handle than he thought.

By the time Amaimon had been overwhelmed by the situation, I gladly recalled him from the fight. He deserved the proper rest, even though I was quite certain he'd be arguing with me later over it. The demon hated losing. He hated backing down from a fight when there was still life left in him to carry on. I, however, would not see my brother get beaten to a pulp when he had done his job. As I tried to set him to rest, Okumura had different plans. The flames had taken over every inch of him by this point; I doubt he was even thinking in any logical way, and he sliced through the protective barrier I had put around my brother (a cuckoo clock) without so much as a moment of hesitation.

"My, my," I commented, observing the crazed look on his face with a small smile. "What a handful you are, my little brother."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note:  
Well, we're getting to the end of the story, guys. =c I think I'll be writing one more chapter after this one... ;0; I want to write more since I love writing about these two, but I might just have to write about them in a different fanfic at some point. Just wanted to say that you guys have always been so supportive and it really makes me day to read your comments. You all are basically the reason I went so far with this... thanks so much for the encouragements... you rock. ;u;  
Shadethedemon- Glad you're liking the chapters! ^^ And thank you for your compliments, as always. You've been with me since the start.  
roo17- Yea, sorry to disappoint with the whole anime/manga thing. I decided to go with the anime since I wanted to include demon Amaimon bursting into the room and whatnot. XD I'm pleased it hasn't thrown you completely off, though. And I'm glad my story makes you smile so much, cause your comments make me smile. =)  
SuperiorDimwit- And /now/ you get to see angry!Amaimon. I was aware Amaimon is capable of getting angry. =) Don't worry. Mephisto was just saying that it wouldn't hurt him to get angry over things that he /should/ get angry at. (y'know, basically Mephisto was irritated over Amaimon being so nonchalant). Hope this chapter lives up to your expectations of an angry Amaimon, haha. ^^ And thanks again for your lovely comments~**

Now that my huge author's comment is out of the way... OFF WE GO~

Amaimon was quick to leap to his feet, again, clearly aware of how critical the situation was. When Rin continued to swing hits at him, he rolled out of the way on the forest floor, releasing a pained grunt when a blow hit him. I watched as the demon stood up and glared at our brother with fiery hatred. Surely enough, Okumura had successfully brought about the side of Amaimon that showed just what sort of anger he was capable of.

Rin was incapable of controlling his flames by any means. He swung clumsily toward me upon noticing my presence, but I quite effortlessly shifted to the side and watched as the son of Satan continued to flail his sword around at what appeared to be nothing. Okumura had completely lost himself. Now, his only goal was to take down whatever was in his path.

When his own power had overwhelmed him, he ended up being flung out of the forest and to an area where the other esquires had congregated. I looked down to my brother, noticing just how exhausted he was, but how determined he was to get his hands around Okumura's neck. "B-Brother," the demon panted, his hands clenched. "I want to kill him. I really do."

I released a small chuckle and dropped down to the ground beside him. "Again, Amaimon, that is _not_ what you will do."

My brother flashed me a look of irritation, one that he had not shown toward me in a long time. He straightened up and rolled his head to the side, his neck letting out a resounding crack. "That battle was not over. I wasn't finished with it, yet."

"Perhaps not, but I am the one calling the shots here," I said sternly, yet was still smirking at how worked up he was getting. "Remember what I ordered you to do. You will not go any further from here."

"That's not fair!" His tone caused my smile to fade, a more serious and peeved look replacing it. "I am stronger than Okumura! I can defeat him easily!"

"I know you are determined, Amaimon," I spoke loudly as if he wouldn't be able to hear otherwise. "But killing our brother is not the plan, nor will it ever be."

"Yes, but it was not your right to call off the fight," Amaimon snapped, his bold and furious tone bringing shock to my face. "That fight was _my_ fight. I was not done yet. You underestimate just what I'm capable of doing, Brother. I could've kept going, but _you_ had to butt in!"

My nose wrinkled with disgust at his words. I placed a hand on my hip, adjusting my hat with a soft clearing of my throat. "Okumura had gone completely mad. The flames took over him; he no longer was thinking; he was simply _doing. _I didn't want you to get beaten when you had already accomplished your task."

"You belittle me," he murmured, voice dripping with anger. "I'd not let our stupid little brother beat me. He is not as marvelous as you and father think he is. The only reason he is _special_ is because he has flames. He has no real talent."

"Don't argue," I scolded, now incredibly annoyed with his attitude. "I told you from the start not to kill him. You _knew_ from the start that you were to do nothing more than what was asked of you. Don't act as if you were unaware of your job requirements and restrictions."

My attention flashed toward the area Rin had ended up in, brows rising upon seeing the blond-hair and familiar figure of a man who was sure to cause trouble. "The newest Paladin is here," I murmured and swiftly spun on my heel. "There are matters needing to be taken care of. Head back to my office and stay there, Amaimon." I began to walk away at a brisk pace, not faltering when I heard my brother speak over my shoulder.

"Why did you call me here, Brother, if you weren't going to let me have a fair and proper fight with him?"

"You were not brought here because I wanted to give you a source of entertainment," I explained, looking over my shoulder. "I called you to do a job. You have done it. Now return to my office for any further instruction. For now, you are of no use to me."

When silence came as an answer, I smiled to myself upon realizing Amaimon had given up. However, as I hurried away toward the scene outside of the forest, a sudden grip on my shoulder caused me to jolt with surprise. I swiftly looked behind me and saw the most outraged look smeared over my younger brother's face. His hand was clutching me rather painfully, long nails daring to slice through my suit.

"Brother! I thought I was going to be allowed to play with him as much as I want at this point," he snapped. "All this time, I've been holding back because you've asked me to. Why can't I have this chance?!"

My lips pursed and I pinched the skin on the top of his hand until he grudgingly let go. "Let me go through this again," I murmured in a forced calm, placing the tips of my fingers together. "Okumura is a very important tool that will be of great use in the future. I brought you here to help me with certain matters concerning him, not to kill him. If I let you two go on, one or the other would be slaughtered."

"That's not true!" the Earth King growled. His shoulders hunched and he almost began to look like a bloodthirsty beast, himself. "I would never lose to him!"

"Perhaps not. But you also mustn't kill him. In your current state, you'd beat him to within an inch of his life without a second thought," I replied and brushed off the sleeves of my coat. "Do you recall the warning I gave you? If you kill him, I won't hesitate to kill you."

Amaimon's teeth clenched together; I could practically hear them grinding with the fury running through him. Though, despite the noises of irritation coming from his throat, no words made it out of his mouth. I raised a brow before pulling at my gloves and turning back around. "Glad that's settled. It's dawn. Go back to my room and rest."

My words were final, having a very blunt and bold tone. I pulled my cape around myself and started forward again at a fast walk. If I didn't get to Angel and Okumura in time, who knew what the Paladin would be doing to Satan's offspring? Yet, as I hurriedly made my way toward the edge of the forest, the voice of my brother yelling back at me caused me to hesitate in the slightest.

"Why do you think our youngest brother is so special yet think nothing of me?!"

My legs seemed to have gotten a bit heavier in that moment. They proved to be a bit more of a challenge to lift and extend, but I made sure to keep my pace up. There was no time to speak with my brother about such matters- such _foolish, selfish_ matters at that. With an annoyed mumbling of his immaturity under my breath, I soon made it to the scene I had been meaning to get to so much earlier. Any thoughts on Amaimon had been washed away by that time.

Surely enough, Angel had attempted to end Okumura's life, but quite conveniently got orders from the Grigori to bring me to court, instead. This was something I was easily capable of dealing with. My talent with persuasion went beyond all bounds; I'd be able to explain the situation to them. Using Rin as a weapon against Satan would go right up their alley. How could they possible resist?

Throughout the interrogation, I remained calm without much effort at all. I had nothing to be afraid of. The Paladin was completely against me on all terms, but I knew I had the other members within my grasp like puppets. They had no weapon to use against Satan. In fact, they were all defenseless against him. Now that they were freely offered a way of fighting him, consideration rang throughout them like a bell of realization.

That was when a sudden rumbling shook the building and the smirk on my face subsided in the slightest. It only took a moment for me to realize what was happening, but when I did, I actually found myself smiling at the fact Amaimon had disobeyed my orders. The demon was incredibly stubborn when he chose to be.

"Is this your work, Sir Pheles?" a member asked me once everyone had discovered the Earth King was the cause of the chaos.

I raised a brow, the smirk on my face widening. "Is this the time for joking around? Why would I need to resort to such measures?"

This was absolutely perfect. I knew that Amaimon had no plan at all to help me, but in a way, he was. If he showed up, the Grigori would be defenseless, especially in his current state. Their only hope would be Satan's son, and once they saw his power, their greedy hands wouldn't be able to resist. They'd _need_ this sort of power in the future.

I proposed that they release Rin from his current, immobilized state and let him face Amaimon to see just what he was capable of. The members were hesitant, but by the time my brother had made it into the room, they didn't have much of a choice. He was vicious and ready to fight our sibling with all of his strength. Clearly, he wasn't kidding when he said he had not finished the battle.

When I turned to gaze upon him, slight surprise flashed over my face upon seeing he had encased himself in solid rock that he was using as a huge suit to protect himself. Quite honestly, I had been expecting my brother to show up on Behemoth's back, especially since the Earth King was in his demon form. I began to ponder if something had happened to the hobgoblin before Amaimon had reached the room. If that was the case, I'm sure my brother was absolutely furious. His familiar meant a lot to him.

Amaimon had snatched up the unconscious son of Satan within the fist of his rocky shell, only to get the hand blasted away. He turned to the man that had shot at him, and when he spoke, the irritation in his voice was boiling over. "Could you all just shut the hell up?" he boomed, turning slightly to look at me. "Don't worry, you'll get your turn when I start killing you one by one!"

My attention was locked onto him, amusement glittering within my gaze. There was no separating the demon from his toy, now. It appeared as though the battle he wanted to finish was one of life or death. It couldn't happen, though. I would not allow Amaimon to kill Okumura when I fought to keep him alive for so long. But, would Rin awaken and destroy my brother, instead?

By this point, the people were desperate. They soon were asking for my help, and how nice it felt to have humans quivering at my feet and begging for me to stop the rampage of my brother. I snickered at the thought, well aware that anyone that came between Amaimon and Okumura had a death wish. Clearly, the only way was to wake our little brother, but that itself proved to be a bit of a challenge. Well, it would have been if the esquires hadn't conveniently showed up with the Kurikara.

My brother seemed desperate to get the blade from the kids, but despite his attempts, the sword made its way back to its rightful owner. Blue flames shot up from Okumura's body, and a devilish smile came across my face. "Time for Round 2," I chuckled quietly.

It took a few moments, but the son of Satan awakened from his unconscious state, suddenly aware of what was going on around him. He attacked Amaimon with the proper anger and force I expected of him. In fact, within a minute, the rocky shell protecting the Earth King was broken to pieces, bringing my two brothers face-to-face.

The look crossing Amaimon's face could properly be described as terror and frustration at the same time. I knew how badly he wanted to beat Okumura to a pulp and prove that he was stronger- that our youngest brother was nothing out-of-the-ordinary. He stared at the flaming demon with wide eyes, muttering in a tone of complete disbelief. "No way…" I heard him say, voice hesitant. "I'm… the Earth King… I can't lose!"

"Clearly, my brother, you can," I murmured gently, my brows meeting together in the middle of my face as the blue flames began to swallow him up. There was nothing I could do to help him- absolutely nothing. Being a demon, I was already distrusted amongst the Vatican and any members of higher authority. If I was to show a single yearning to pull him into safety, their doubt would be proven correct. If Amaimon had obediently gone back to my office, this wouldn't even be happening.

However, when I heard his scream of agony within the flickering fire, I internally cringed. Never before had I witnessed such a desperate screech come from the depths of his throat. What really caused my heart to jolt was the single word he yelled out amongst his pain. _Brother._ Out of all things and all people to call out to for help, he called out to me. My stomach performed a tiny flip, and I did nothing but watch the flames swallow him. I didn't even falter or try to look away. I simply _watched_. My brother believed he could rely on me, but I had failed him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note:  
SURPRISE! You guys get ****one more chapter**** after this one. =D Let's all celebrate! I was going to fit a bunch of stuff into one chapter, but I decided to split it into two. Oh, and sorry this took so long. X_x I had in mind what I wanted to happen, but I could never write it down and make it sound nice, so it took me ages... quite literally.  
Speaking of that, I take a lot of the plot into my own hands, here. It's never directly stated why Amaimon appears back as a hamster (or, if it is, I couldn't find anything about it), so I had to make up my own reasons. And just letting you guys know that I get really self-conscious about making decisions like this in case it goes /really/ ooc or just drifts from the plot of whatever I'm writing about severely. So, it was rather difficult to write this chapter since I was unsure of how... realistic my thoughts on his hamster form are. Terribly sorry if this is completely and utterly lame. ;n; I hope you enjoy it, nonetheless. I don't want my story to end terribly.  
Now, as for replying to you awesome people~  
BrokenToy13: I'm glad my last chapter touched you in such a way. I find that episode really sad, too. It's just so depressing how Amaimon yells out to Mephisto and his Mephisto does nothing to help. :c Poor guy. Thanks for your review!  
SuperiorDimwit: Lol. xD I wasn't 'slapping your fingers.' I had intentions to add Amaimon's angry side later, so it wasn't like I was getting back at you. No worries! ^^  
In the anime, Amaimon basically withdraws when he's told to do so. It didn't really go into much. It just showed Amaimon getting beaten up by Rin and basically never showed him again until he came in on Behemoth's back, haha. Glad you enjoyed the dialogue I added. =)  
I'd like to reply to everything you've said, but I figure that'd take up too much space... so, again, just thank you for all the reviews you left me. I love seeing all you have to say about my story. =)  
SkyHearts: Yus indeed... that scene has always made me so sad.. ;~;  
And I'm glad you've been following me through the story. At least you get one more chapter after this one. ****_Then_**** it'll be over.. ;n; Thank you so much!  
Shadethedemon: I certainly hope this story goes out with a bang. ._. I'm a bit concerned I will disappoint you guys. D; Gah. But thank ****_you_**** for all of your support. It means more to me than you realize... ^^;  
roo17: I know! I was very disappointed in Mephisto for just standing and ****_watching_**** his brother get beaten to a pulp. :C I understand your frustration.  
I'm also glad you liked the dialogue I added there. =) Thanks for the compliment!  
Almost the end, my friend. Thanks for all your lovely reviews~**

And without further ado...

It took a good while for my brother to cross my mind again after his agonizing scream that would've put a tattoo on anyone else's brain. For me, I had heard his desperate cry for help and felt a strike of guilt in the moment, but basically forgot about it afterward. By the time I _did_ think about that moment of Amaimon's downfall, it was already after our youngest brother had been accepted into the school as Satan's son. That was when certain precautions swept their way through my head for the first time.

Despite how terribly painful the Earth King's cry was, I had an odd feeling within my veins that made me believe he had not actually been killed. It was a bit ridiculous to think that Okumura could so easily take out my brother. Obviously, the Esquire had magnificent powers, but he knew little about how to control them. It was pure luck that he had been able to destroy Amaimon in that moment.

In some rare cases, when a demon as powerful as the Earth King was defeated brutally in a battle, they'd be sent back to Gehenna in shameful heap. It was one thing that could be very disgraceful to a demon's reputation; quite literally being kicked out of Assiah was nothing to raise your chin and boast about. With that thought in mind, my suspicions made quite a lot of sense. Perhaps my brother hadn't been killed.

I wasn't at all interested in checking up on him, though. There was not a single desire in my heart leading me to return to Gehenna for _any_ reason- especially to see if my brother- who had disobeyed my orders- was actually alive. However, the more the thoughts nagged at the back of my head, the more I became aware of just how crucial it would be to have him back.

This time, I didn't need him back for any sort of reason regarding his assistance. I wanted to keep him out of Gehenna. If any part of this situation was to get back to our father, I was certain he wouldn't be the happiest camper. Surely, if my brother was sent back, there would be the possibility that he'd explain everything to Satan. If Amaimon had been in Gehenna this entire time, had my little brother already relayed what had happened and who had caused his downfall? Hopefully, the Earth King was a bit too proud to admit he had lost to our youngest brother.

Those thoughts in mind, I reluctantly returned to the world of demonic beings to retrieve Amaimon. If he had, in fact, been completely wiped from existence because of Okumura, the trip would have been useless and a waste of time. While I was there, it took up even more of my precious time to find my brother because of how cautious I was being about anyone else laying their eyes on me. It had been a long while since Gehenna surrounded me; I had no desire to be reunited and questioned by my other siblings. To keep it short, I practically felt my heart leap with joy when my eyes finally rested upon the Earth King's figure and I could safely return to Assiah again.

When I found him, I paid little attention to his condition. If I wasn't in such a rush, I would've noticed just how 'out-of-it' my brother was. The short demon had been sitting cross-legged within an open area, a glazed and distant look in his usually bright eyes. However, I didn't so much as falter or stop to explain to him what was happening; I simply grabbed him by the wrist, hauled him to his feet, and dragged him back to Assiah, ignoring any sort of muddled words tripping off his tongue.

It wasn't until we were safely in my office that I breathed a sigh of relief and actually became aware of how different Amaimon was acting. My grip was still clutched at his arm tightly, yet I felt a sudden pressure on my shoulder resulting from the weight of the demon's body resting on mine. I let my gaze flicker toward him with a spark of irritation before hastily elbowing him in the stomach.

"Amaimon! Stand up, will you?!" I snapped. "I just went all the way back to Gehenna to retrieve you; you _could_ show a bit more gratitude!"

When I actually took that time to observe my brother's state, the angered look on my face slowly dissolved away. My lips parted and my brows came together over my eyes. The Earth King was wobbling slightly on the spot as if struggling to keep his balance, his gaze staring blankly and weakly at the middle distance. He mustered up enough strength to cast me a short glance and murmur a raspy 'Brother' before falling to his knees, arms trembling while attempting to hold up his weight.

For the longest time, I simply stared down at him as if frozen in place. The large pants being thrown from his lungs were loud and unmistakably full of pain, acting as the only noise in the room for several moments. However, after I had gotten over my state of paralysis, a soft chuckle made its way to my throat. I delicately placed a hand on my hip and shook my head scornfully. "Still all worn out from our youngest sibling? And here I thought you had a bit more in you."

Amaimon's breaths soon turned to soft rasps, and I watched him struggle to look up at me. His cerulean eyes met with mine, filled to the brim with agony I could not understand. The amusement on my face slowly turned to a look of disgust and annoyance upon seeing that horrible expression.

"B-Brother…" came the frail squeak of the Earth King's voice before he looked back down at the ground. He inched forward, reaching out on arm to grab at my boots desperately.

I let out a snort of derision and took several steps back to avoid his touch. "Get a hold of yourself, Amaimon!" My voice was loud and oozing with frustration. The demon let his hand drop when he realized I had moved away, now resting silently on his stomach. His head was turned to the side, giving me a view of his face and just enough of a view to see the distant look had returned to it. "Amaimon! Aren't you listening to me at all?!"

Not a single noise came from his mouth after that. The only indication that he was even alive was the small movement in his back related to his breathing, and the weak blink of his eyes. I stared at him with disbelief, completely appalled by how beaten up he looked. Was he honestly still injured from losing to Okumura? It was baffling to see him in such a horrible state.

When he continued to remain silent, I finally gave in. "I don't know what's wrong with you, Amaimon," I mumbled, bending down to grab at his arms, "but the only thing I can do right now is let you rest and _hope_ whatever this is passes." A tiny groan came from the Earth King's parted lips as I lifted him up and dragged him rather carelessly into my bedroom.

While the demon was still draped over me, I pulled back the blankets on the bed and haphazardly let him fall onto his side of the mattress. I placed a considerate amount of covers over him, then handed him his drool-covered pillow to hold onto. "Just get yourself some rest. Then I have some things to go over with you." Just as I spun on my heel and took a single step forward to return to my office, I felt a sudden tug on my sleeve. My emerald gaze peered over my shoulder to see Amaimon's hands clinging to my coat, yet his own eyes were aimed at the ground.

"W-Where's Behemoth?" I heard him croak and actually had to think for a few moments to realize what he had asked.

"Why would you ask _me_ that?" My brow rose critically. "The last time I saw the pest was when we were out in the forest. Since then, I haven't so much as seen a glimpse of him."

The Earth King fell silent, eyes narrowing as if trying to remember what had happened. His grip on my sleeve loosened enough for me to pull my arm away and I immediately smoothed out whatever wrinkles his hand had caused. "Perhaps he was killed before you made it to the court room. Remember that?" _Surely you must remember it, _I thought to myself with scorn. _It was the day of your downfall._

It appeared as though his memory was refreshed. I watched with a tilted head as his eyes widened in the slightest and his teeth clenched together with pain. "He's… gone," Amaimon whispered and hugged the pillow tightly against his chest. He buried his face into the cushion, only his gaze appearing above it.

"It appears to be so," I replied and showed little emotion over the sorrow washing through my brother's body. "He may have been killed, but you weren't. You should be grateful for that, Amaimon."

The demon's response was nothing but the furrowing of his eyebrows and the sudden tightening of his grip on the pillow he clung to. I watched him with interest for quite some time, yet finally turned again and began to make my way out of the room. "Go to sleep. You need to restore whatever strength you have lost."

As I left the room, it wasn't difficult to hear the small sobs coming from Amaimon's direction, only subsiding when he had fallen into an uncomfortable sleep.

Several days passed after I brought my brother back to Assiah, and as those days passed, he seemed to get worse rather than any better. It soon came to the point when Amaimon seemed to never hear a single word that escaped my mouth, much less capable of talking, himself. He refused any food I offered him, even the Pocky I knew he was very fond of. The demon was clearly not recovering.

The problem also came from the fact that I had no idea what was wrong with him. At first, it could have been taken as being a bit weak from his last battle and acting sore about it, but since his condition was getting much worse rather than better, I was at a complete loss. I had never before seen someone sent back to Gehenna come to Assiah, again, so maybe there was one little quirk about the situation that I was unaware of. Even so, I'd have no idea how to resolve it.

It all came down to one day when I was sitting at my desk, hunched over with my face buried in my hands. Dark circles were clear beneath my eyes, indicating several nights of little to no rest while I tried to figure out what to do. The most logical action would be to return Amaimon to Gehenna and hope he'd eventually feel better there, but I would not let _that_ happen after all the trouble I went through to get him here. What could I possibly do?

I released a small moan of irritation and exhaustion, mindlessly picking up my cup of tea and twirling it to make sure it was well-mixed. When I heard the opening of my office door, I instantly sat up, an intrigued look on my face. My eyes fell upon the figure of a man I had not expected to see ever again, much less here at True Cross Academy. As soon as the look of surprise left my face, I gently set down my cup and offered a smirk. "Well, well, Neuhaus. Fancy seeing you here," I chuckled. "I never thought I'd see you again- at least not here in my office."

The man looked at me with a rather emotionless gaze, closing the door behind him as he stepped into the room. I rested my chin on my hands and leaned forward on my desk. "What ails you? I hope you realize I have my own problems to deal with and would prefer not to have to babysit you."

Igor's nose wrinkled up a bit at my words before he shook his head. "I have sympathy for your loss, Sir Pheles," he muttered and dipped his head in a polite gesture. When his eyes met mine, he must've noticed the bewildered look on my face, for he delved deeper into the topic. "I heard about the situation with Okumura and your brother. Wasn't the Earth King completely obliterated by that little brat?"

I blinked a few times in silence, then couldn't hold back a burst of laughter that broke through my throat. Neuhaus stared at me with disbelief as I fell back in my seat, holding my stomach when the muscles began to hurt through my amusement. "You think I would be at all concerned about that, Neuhaus?" I smiled and wiped at the corners of my eyes. "Amaimon carried out the proper job. His destruction has no part on this. When it came down to it, either the Earth King or Okumura would have been killed. Better my brother than the child brought up by Fujimoto, right?"

"So, you have no concern or feelings for your brother at all?" the man asked, completely unfazed by my amusement. "I know you aren't one to let feelings get ahead of the task at hand, Mephisto, but you must be at least a _bit_ upset over his death. Then again… you _are_ a demon. You must not have any sort of heart in you."

It was clear that the man was trying to guilt me into feeling sorrow for the Earth King's demise. In all honesty, though, I found it incredibly amusing to watch the annoyed look cross his face. "Perhaps I'd be a bit more concerned over it if Amaimon had actually died," I replied with a nonchalant shrug.

Igor's lips parted with an expression of confusion and wonder. "You mean he _survived?!_ I thought he had been burnt to a crisp!"

The smirk on my face widened. "He's alive. I had to retrieve him from Gehenna, for he had been sent back in that moment."

The exorcist's look of surprise faded away while he regained his composure, his eyes suddenly flickering from one side of the room to another. "Where is the little demon, then?"

"Since when do you care so much about it?" I asked and flashed him a devilish grin. "The task I had appointed to you has been taken care of. Why would my brother matter at all, now?"

His teeth clenched slightly before he released a soft noise of irritation. "I just don't want him suddenly falling from the ceiling and startling me into attacking him," he muttered defiantly. "Why is he back, anyway? If he already did his job, he should be in Gehenna where vermin like him belong."

"'Vermin like him?' Don't forget that I'm a son of Satan, too, Neuhaus. Yet you've put all of your trust in me. What makes Amaimon any different?"

"Nothing," he grumbled, bringing me to raise my eyebrows. "I'm just saying that if he was sent back to Gehenna from that fight, he should've stayed there. Isn't that basically a sign that he doesn't belong in Assiah? When will you learn to let things be?"

"Clearly you don't know me as well as I would have hoped," I sighed dramatically.

"I know enough about you to not care to learn more," Neuhaus replied proudly, raising his chin. "But enough of that. I didn't come here to talk about your brother."

"I surely hope so."

"I came here to confront you about something concerning my wi-"

"Wait a moment!" I abruptly got to my feet, slamming my hands on my desk. "What was that you said about Amaimon not belonging here?"

The man looked rather befuddled at first, his words stumbling off his tongue. "I just said that demons like him don't belong in Assiah."

"Right." I brought a hand to my chin, stroking my fingers delicately over my goatee. My eyes were locked onto the cup of tea in front of me and I watched the ripples within the liquid slowly fade away over time. "Maybe that's why he isn't doing well… his own body is rejecting him for being in Assiah when he doesn't belong here…"

"What are you talking about?" Igor's brows were practically touching together in the middle of his head from the confusion flooding through him.

It was as if a sudden wave of realization had smacked right into me. I ignored the questions that continued to pour from the former professor's mouth, thinking up solutions to the problem in my own mind. However, when Neuhaus's voice had finally reached a volume that was capable of cutting into my thoughts, I looked up at him with a smile.

"Neuhaus!" I exclaimed and dramatically stretched out my arms. "I appreciate your visit; you have been an awfully big help, which is quite odd for you." I walked around to the front of my desk, patting his shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me-"

As I spun on my heel and opened the passage leading into my bedroom, I heard the exorcist's voice over my shoulder. "Sir Pheles! Wait!" he called with a hint of desperation. "I have questions concerning the current state of Michelle that you might be able to answer."

For a brief moment, I paused within the doorway, casting a glance over my shoulder. "Your wife?" A small nod came as a response, but I offered a chuckle and shrugged. "Perhaps, but I'm busy right now."

"Mephisto! I came all the way here-"

"That you did. But now I have something I need to tend to. Come back later if you must." I waved a hand as I turned my back on him. When I walked through the passage and closed it behind me, I heard an outraged yell come from beyond the wall, but chose to ignore it as soon as everything had gone silent, again. The man had given me a very decent idea on how to deal with Amaimon's frail state, and I was ready to test my theory before the idea slipped from my mind.

Demons might not belong in this world, but several other creatures did. If I was capable of transforming my brother into something that actually had a place in Assiah, perhaps he'd regain his strength again. It was the only idea I had; trying it would either make things better or do nothing at all.

I stepped carefully over to the bedside, emerald eyes flickering over Amaimon's unconscious frame. His skin had gone even paler throughout his days here, and dark circles that were worse than mine had formed beneath his closed eyes. The only indication that he was even alive was the subtle rising and falling of his chest. Looking down upon him made me realize just how completely pitiful the demon appeared. In fact, a small part of my heart was struck with pain upon seeing just how sick he had gotten.

"I'll do what I can, Amaimon," I murmured softly despite the fact he would not be able to hear me. My gaze left him for a moment when I reached for my umbrella and pointed its tip down at the demon's body. I imagined an animal from this world within my head, then took in a deep breath.

"Eins. Zwei. Drei."


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note:  
This is it, guys. The ****last chapter.**** =O  
I'm posting this one within the same day as Chapter 9, so I have no feedback from that chapter and have nothing to reply to, but I just thought I'd like to thank you all ****_one more time_**** for how much support you've given me. Quite literally, every review I've gotten from you guys has made my day... and it really cheers me up to see how much you all loved this story.  
It is very depressing that I am done with it, but it has been a thrilling ride all throughout. I hope this last chapter doesn't disappoint, and thank you again for how supportive you've all been. You're the reason I enjoyed writing this so much. =) I loved being able to write something that you guys were so fond of. (And it's just fun to write about Mephy and Amai since they're epic characters)  
I actually have ideas for another story (regrettably not Amaimon/Mephisto, though) centering around Izumo, Paku, and Shiemi if any of you are interested. I normally don't write about girls, but I've thought up a good idea for them and might start up a new story with them if I get the time and motivation. If you are at all interested in that, it will be posted on my new account, darkmatterwolf, so look for it there. And any stories I post from now one ****will be on that new account.**** Feel free to check it out. So far, there are no stories since I just made it, haha.  
But anyway, thanks again. You are all ****_so_**** nice to me and I've loved reading every comment you've left.  
You guys ****_ROCK._******

Peace out~

The bright light from the morning sun poured through the windows of my office, gleaming in at the perfect angle to allow me to read the paper within my hand without the shadow of my own body getting in the way. A fresh cup of tea was resting on the desk in front of me, and I lifted it every now and again to take a small sip of the sugary substance. When I felt a sudden sensation crawling up one of my legs, I didn't so much as glance away from what I was reading to see what it was.

"I assume you're feeling better, Amaimon?" A green ball of fur became visible out of the corner of my eye from atop my desk.

"Yes, Brother," the small rodent replied, itching at one ear. "It is very weird being this small, though."

"It suits you," I mocked. "Plus, it'll be easier to keep you hidden if anyone were to find out you are still alive," I picked up the cup of tea Amaimon had been sniffing curiously at and took a courteous drink.

The hamster leaned back on his hind legs and looked up at me with beady eyes, his nose twitching. I raised my brow at him and felt my eyebrow twitch slightly when I put my drink down. "You're hungry, right? Well, it _has_ been a few days since you've eaten." When Amaimon eagerly straightened up, I pulled open one of the drawers on my desk and plucked a box of Pocky from its contents. I took the authority of opening the package for him and rested it on my desk, not at all surprised to see the demon immediately begin to chew at one stick.

For a long while, I did nothing but stare at the hamster that had been my demon brother not many hours beforehand. Truthfully, it baffled me that my silly idea had actually worked. Sure, Amaimon was a rodent that belonged in Assiah, but that didn't change who he actually was. Deep within, the hamster was still a demon. He was still the Earth King. He was still my brother. It was weird that simply appearance alone could change all that.

"I hope you realize," I began after I allowed him to get through a few sticks of Pocky, "that you being a hamster doesn't change any boundaries we already had set."

The rodent, still biting at the food given to him, looked up at me with a tilt of his head. "What do you mean, Brother?"

"You know exactly what I mean," I murmured, resting my chin on one hand while I scornfully poking his head with my other. "I did not appreciate waking up last night to feel a ball of fur curled up against my chest- _beneath_ my robe, Amaimon." Not to mention, what would have happened if I rolled over on top of him? I had no desire of waking up to see a squished rodent in my bed.

"Sorry," Amaimon replied in a squeak. "I was cold and you were warm…"

"Well, it's even more crucial for you to stay on your side of the bed when you're in this form," I commented and ran a hand over my face. "You _do_ realize how small you are compared to me, right?"

"Yes. I understand." The hamster obediently dipped his head. "I'll try to stay on my side from now on."

"Good." I leaned back in my chair, casting a short glance out the window. My eyes found their way to Mepphy Land, suddenly remembering that it had recently been repaired after the destruction caused by my brother. I also recalled how there had been thoughts running through my head concerning taking Amaimon to the park as soon as it had been fixed. That wouldn't be happening, now. Sure, he'd be able to tag along since he was small enough to fit in my pocket, but what sort of fun would that be having to feed a hamster sweets amongst several observant visitors flashing you weird looks?

"Brother?" Amaimon's higher-pitched voice broke into my thoughts, yanking me back to reality.

"What is it?"

"Why did you bring me back to Assiah?" He fell onto all fours and crawled toward me, his tiny tail twitching a bit.

I lifted a brow in his direction, then smirked and shook my head. "I don't want you telling our father what all had happened here. Perhaps he wouldn't have cared, but then again… you can never tell with him." I leaned forward again and snatched a pen from a mug on my desk, signing the document I had been looking over.

"But how did you even know I was alive?"

"I didn't." My eyes lifted from the paper. "I figured it was worth looking for you to avoid getting into trouble with father."

"Thank you."

A perplexed look came across my face and I straightened up. "For what?"

"Bringing me back," Amaimon murmured and sat on his hind legs, again. "I didn't want to be in Gehenna… because I knew you wouldn't be coming back anytime soon."

I stared at the hamster with incredulity for a few stunned moments before shaking my head. "I did it because I had to. You don't belong here in Assiah. Even your own body knew that."

"But you don't, either," the rodent replied, ears flicking forward. "You're a demon, too, Brother."

"I know that!" I snapped. "That doesn't mean I can't be in Assiah. At least my body isn't rejecting me for it. I'd rather be here where everything is more interesting; compared to Gehenna, this world is like an amusement park."

"Can it really amuse you forever, though?"

"Perhaps not… but I haven't gotten the least bit bored since I've come here, so it's very likely that it'll take a lot of time for it to lose its charm." I gazed at my brother moodily, arms crossed. "Why are you saying all this all of the sudden?"

The hamster's whiskers quivered a bit before he crawled over to the box of Pocky and snatched another stick. "Because," he started, taking a moment to nibble on the chocolate coating, "all of our siblings are wondering the same thing. You act like this world is the world you belong to… when, in reality, it isn't."

"You think I am unaware of that?" I asked, my tone having a slight edge to it. "Honestly, I don't know why any of you care. It's not like my absence is a big deal. Besides, most of our siblings are simply jealous that I have the opportunity to work with Okumura. If I were to return, I'd hear nothing but their complaining about it, which I'd prefer not to deal with."

"Maybe," Amaimon murmured contemplatively, turning the Pocky over a few times in his tiny paws. "I wish you'd return more." His eye flickered up toward me when he spoke, ears falling back, again. "I don't really like our siblings very much…"

"Is that so?" I commented with a light chuckle. "And what makes me any different?"

"You actually pay attention to me and care about me."

When those words slipped out of his mouth, I felt a heat rise in my cheeks within a matter of a few seconds. My eyes were wide open, and I hastily waved my hand dismissively and covered my face to hide the red that had swelled across it. "Why would you think I care? I didn't really come to your rescue during your battle with Okumura." I tried to regain my composure in those moments by straightening up in my seat. "If I cared, I would've saved you from being sent back to Gehenna."

"But you couldn't," the hamster continued, not at all looking hurt over what I had said. "If you had saved me, you would no longer be trusted at all by those people. It was just something you had to do. I understood from the moment it happened why you didn't do anything…"

_How could you possibly understand? That scream of yours was full of such agony and betrayal… _I cleared my throat awkwardly and pulled at the scarf that was tucked neatly into my shirt. "Precisely. If I had cared, I would have saved you and not worried about being distrusted."

Amaimon tilted his head to the side, then turned around and began to explore the contents of my desk. His little nose twitched wildly while he ventured about, stopping once to look back at me. "I always thought you were smarter than me, Brother, but in situations like this, I'm not so sure anymore." I could almost spot a gleam of amusement in the demon's eyes, causing me to click my tongue with annoyance.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I picked up the rodent within one hand and placed him in the other, bringing him close to my face to look him right in the eyes. "Do you really have enough bravery in you to say that I'm dumb? You're treading on thin ice right now, Amaimon."

"I'm not saying you're dumb," he squeaked and sat on his haunches. "You're very smart and clever, which I have always admired. I'm just saying you don't understand some things concerning your feelings."

"How could you possibly know my feelings better than I do?" I hissed with defiance.

The rodent seemed to shrug before he placed a paw on my nose and raised himself up a little higher. "Maybe I'm wrong. Sorry, Brother."

I squinted against the feeling of the sniffling at my brows, pulling the hamster away from my face. As I began to bring him back down to the desk, he suddenly scrabbled up my arm and came to a resting point on my shoulder. His nose burrowed into the wrinkles of my clothes with interest for a few moments before settling down. "Are you waiting for this all to play out before going back to Gehenna, Brother?"

"Well, I'm certainly waiting to see just what will happen with your youngest sibling, and even after that, I will probably be staying," I murmured. "I _am_ the principal of the academy. Leaving wouldn't be best for the school, don't you think?"

"I guess so." His whiskers tickled my neck as he spoke. "How long am I allowed to stay with you?"

"I assume you want to see just what happens with Okumura, too," I said, half speaking to myself as I thought the question over. "After that, though, you should probably go back- unless you want to stay as an animal for the rest of your life."

He fell down onto all fours, again, curling into a ball within the wrinkles of my coat. "I'd rather stay here… even if it means I have to stay like this."

My lips pursed, brows disappearing beneath my bangs as they rose on my forehead. "Don't be ridiculous. It's no good staying an animal all the time. You'll have to return at some point, Amaimon."

"I don't like anyone in Gehenna, though," the demon complained and lifted his head to look up at me. "At least when I'm here, I have you to rely on. Being an animal won't really matter… I'm still the same demon you have always known and you're still my brother."

I blinked a few times in his direction, then lifted up my cup of tea and took another contemplative sip. _'Still my brother?' Since when has the term 'brother' been so important? I've never shown him any act of kindness through all our years. _"We'll see how things play out," I finally responded after setting down my tea. "Who knows? Life could turn out very different by the time this all is over."

"Okay, Brother. Thank you," I heard the hamster whisper. He then let his head fall back down at his paws, situating himself in a comfortable position and appearing to be making an attempt to take a nap. I cast him a sideways glance, smirking at his actions.

"Still tired even after sleeping for several days straight? You really are something," I commented and leaned back into my own comfortable position when I received no response.

_So, he considers me as someone to rely on? _A smile crossed my face and I let my eyes close gently. _That's an interesting development, to say the least._


End file.
